Karma
by minaosu
Summary: What happens after the end? A look into the lives and deaths of the furuba cast. Will they be able to finally break the curse?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Dear lord, do I wish I owned these guys. But I don't. But if I did you can rest assured that ...umm... I'd... be happy? Whatever. Flustered authors don't write as well. Give me a break.

A/N: agh! My first fanfic! I am sooo scared. I came up with this idea a while ago and have been working really hard on it. I hope when you people read this first chapter, you don't give up on me! (Give me one more chapter before you hate it!) Whatever. I'm just going to keep whining and whatnot so I'll stop now and hope you'll be gentle and give me lots of feedback!

Once upon a time, the world was young and consisted only of a lush, solitary forest. Here it was that the gods first saw the loneliness of the world. Thus, was the first life created: thirteen animals, who alone were created lovingly by the gods: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, dog, rooster, boar, and the lastly, the cat. And being the first of any, their personalities were each totally unique and genuine.

Not long after their creation, the gods decided to fill the whole world with the joy they found in the company of these animals. However, they did not want to simply copy the thirteen, for they were indeed unique. Then, they decided how it was to be done:

Using them as a kind of guideline, the gods took parts of each animal to create new kinds of animals.

This required their sacrifice, and ultimately cost the animals their own bodies.

In reward for their great sacrifice, the gods gave them eternal spirits so that they might always watch over the forest and world they so loved.

Then, the gods created a lesser copy of each of the thirteen, so that their kind would never be forgotten, but there could never be an equal to their original.

Once all was finished, the world began to flourish and grow.

In order to celebrate, the gods ordered there to be a magnificent feast for all of the animals' spirits. There were to be festivities such as there never were or ever will be again. The gods ordered that the spirits would enjoy themselves for all eternity in reward for their great services.

The beginning day had finally come when they would take part in the never-ending joys of the gods, but the rat, the most clever of the animals, decided to play a joke on the cat, his rival before he went off to the party. He told the foolish cat that the banquet was on the next day and that he should go home and rest so as to be ready when the time came. The cat was eager for the next day to come so he choose to go home and sleep until the dawn would bring endless joy to his door.

He slept so hard, dreaming of the fun to come, that he did not even hear the other animals leave. And so, the other twelve went to enjoy their paradise, with the rat leading them from the back of the ox.

When they arrived, the gods welcomed them each and all. And there truly had never been such magnificence as was seen at the party. They all laughed and played and ate more than their fill. All the while the foolish cat slept on, dreaming of his already lost utopia.

Yet once it was found that they had left the cat, the gods grew angry. They asked the others where the cat was and the clever rat lied, telling them that the cat didn't want to come, but would rather sleep.

The gods, however, were just that—gods. They knew the rat lied to them and were displeased by the petty squabbles of their precious animals. Thus, they banished the spirits from the gates of paradise, cursing them that they might not return until they had learned to truly trust and love one another.

The spirits were angry and frightened and looked to blame the rat, their natural leader. He convinced them that it was the cat's fault, not his and that he was to blame for their misery.

The cat was ashamed at his foolishness and that the clever rat had tricked him and swore to never forgive himself or the rat until he could become even greater than the gods' favorite.

The world outside the forest of the gods spun on unaware of the supernatural enmities silently watching and cursing it.

The spirits grew restless.

In their mindless anger, they set upon the world of man, seeking to find a way to break their curse.

The gods told us to learn to love and trust one another. Yet I know we all love each other, so there must be something else. Maybe, if we can find love in the realm of man, that would lift the curse.

The clever rat had told the others this, but really just wanted revenge upon the foolish cat, whom he blamed for their predicament.

So the animals' spirits began to take over the bodies of men. The rat was the first to try it and upon his success, the others grew bolder and began to do so themselves. The foolish cat, however, was not shown how to do this, and had to figure out a way by himself.

It seemed as though the clever rat had given them the answer they so desperately wanted. But the rat did not know that because their spirits were so different from that of the humans', their host's bodies began to transform into the animal possessing them. Humans, it seemed, weren't mentally able to comprehend the existence of the spirits, much less their wanting human bodies. So the humans began to try to exorcise the spirits.

There was one man, though, the one called, "Sohma", who wanted the spirit to possess him. "This is a blessing!" he insisted and called the animals to him. Sohma had an enormous family, as he was a wealthy merchant—one of the first, actually—and he had many wives.

"You may each have one of my children," he told the spirits, "Please. It would be my honor."

So each animal chose one of the children. The rat, being most clever, chose to take the heir to the Sohma name, so that he could watch the rest of the animals and guide them when they might need him.

That is how the animals' spirits came to rest in the family of Sohma.

Through the generations, new children were born with the spirits already in them. The hosts grew stronger, and better able to keep from transforming, as it was a most cumbersome way to go through life.

It seemed, however, that there was one thing that could not be overcome. Once one of the possessed fell in love, their strength faded and they would eventually take the form of their particular animal.

And as that naturally drew unwanted attention to the family and was in turn bad for business, the head of the Sohmas decided to build their own small village outside of the main city. There they built high walls all around their land and made houses for all the family so that others might not see the truth of their curse.

As time passed, less and less people even knew about the curse of the Sohmas—even some distant members of the family were unaware that their kin were possessed by the vengeful spirits.

Then came the time of the world where telling the future thru one's 'horoscope' first became popular. The Chinese had developed an ingenious system of telling time as well as possibilities of the future through what was called the "Zodiac".

This system had a way of easily classifying one's personality by means of the year in which they were born. Each year was assigned a different animal and there were twelve in all: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, dog, rooster, and boar. But no cat.

When word reached the Sohmas of the "Zodiac", they knew immediately that these zodiac animals were indeed based upon those that haunted them. And the poor cat once again felt the scorching burn of injustice as the rat continued to mock him for his indirect failure.

As time passed, it became clear that the members of the zodiac usually shared attributes similar to the spirit within them and were treated within the family as would behoove the animals.

The rat was always clever and gifted while the cat was always short-tempered and the outcast of the family. The dog was well loved and had no favorites but was always loyal and true to his family. But the dragon was the wisest. Not clever like the rat, but rather the dragon knew _facts_ and information. The human possessed by the dragon was invariably a doctor of some kind.

The members of the zodiac began to gather every New Year and have a celebration remembering the lost paradise of so long ago. Depending on what year of the zodiac it was, that person would do a beautiful and ancient dance to honor the gods in hope that they would have this terrible curse lifted. The cat, however, was never allowed to join.

More time passed and the new zodiac members began transforming less and less often. At any intimate contact from a member of the opposite sex or any sign of weakness in the human, however, they would temporarily change into the animal and change back again once their strength had recovered.

Time again passed unnoted to those moved by it.

And thus it was until the late twentieth century, when one _not_ of the Sohmas discovered their terrible secret.

Her name was Tohru Honda.

Now it should be noted that the secret had gotten out before, but it had never really been a problem since long ago, when one particular dragon had discovered the secret of erasing memories. This technique had been handed down to every single dragon since, so as to protect their cursed past. It was used often to protect their secret and was even used on members of the Sohma family, it was so urgent that the curse remained unknown.

Yet this girl, this total stranger, was spared.

Her memory was not erased and when she discovered their secret she was even allowed to live with the rat (then named Yuki) and the dog (who was named Shigure) who were living outside of the main Sohma house.

Soon after she came there, the cat, Kyo, came looking for Yuki so that they once again could fight. It seemed that through all of time, the cat grew more and more angry particularly with the rat and usually found a reason to try and prove that he in some way was greater than the rat. For _this_ cat, it was to be martial arts that would beat the rat. But, as was the way always before, the cat never won.

The cat came to live with the rat and dog by order of Akito, the current head of the family. Soon, however, Tohru befriended Kyo and even the anger of the poor cat seemed to fade after so many eons of burning.

She met many others of the Sohmas. The ox, Hatsuharu, the dragon, Hatori, the rabbit, Momiji, the boar, Kagura, the snake, Ayame, the tiger, Kisa, the sheep, Hiro, and the monkey, Ri-chan. There were others, but none left as great an impact upon her life as Hatsuharu, Hatori, Momiji, Kagura, Ayame, Shigure, Yuki and Kyo.

They all lived their lives happy just to be with one another and some believed that the curse might actually be broken.

But how would they know?

They didn't. So they went about their lives and sometimes separated, but never for long. But as they got older, it became harder and harder to get everyone together at the same time.

And still the question lingered in their minds... Were they ever to be free?

This wasn't answered until they were all together again.

...Not until every last one of them was dead.

A/N: well? Curious? Intrigued? Mildly entertained? Whatever the case, review me! Agh, I can't handle this kind of suspense!

See you next chapter! It'll be up fairly soon, as its already written, I just want to see what people say before I commit another chapter! .

Ugh. I just can't handle this kind of suspense.

Ja!


	2. Sleeping Beauty

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but that don't mean that I don't love 'em. Cuz I does. Heh.

A/N: I know I said that I wasn't going to update this yet, but then I started thinking that maybe if I put out the first TWO chapters, ya'll would read it more... or good stuff like that... anywhooz it, I just have always wanted to do something like this and I honestly hope that you people will enjoy it.

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It was like waking up from a long nap. Like waking up to the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and knowing that they were made with just you in mind. It was like... like nothing else. Everything seemed softer than possible and it somehow felt like the very air was embracing you. Almost like you were being swallowed, but that would imply pain or panic or other negative feelings. There was no pain here. This was more like... a hug.

She rubbed her eyes gently and tried vainly to clear her vision. But everything still seemed fuzzy.

_Hmm._

Out of habit, Tohru moved her hand to adjust her glasses, in case they had fallen out of place. Strangely, she found that she was in fact, not even wearing the glasses she'd needed more and more since her eyes went out a few years ago.

_Odd..._

Looking about her, she steadily grew more confused. She was in a room with wooden planks for walls. Yet it seemed to her that when she had woken before she thought she was in a place that was white. But she must have been mistaken. Indeed, the first time, it seemed almost like she was still in that clammy room with all of the machines murmuring...

_That's right. I must have still been there... I felt so sleepy. I guess it was the machine's humming, like usual, that made me fall asleep again... But I'm awake now!_

She looked around to appraise her surroundings and did a double take. After a moment, she knew that she _must_ be mistaken. Before, she was somewhere that was unfamiliar. She definitely wasn't somewhere unfamiliar now.

It was her old room in Shigure-san's house... And as she continued to take in her surroundings, tears of nostalgia began forming. She was lying in the huge, pink, western-style bed that he had bought her when she first was taken in so many years ago.

But how was this possible?

_Okay. Don't panic, I must be confused. What _was_ the last thing I remember...?_ She paused for a moment, trying to recall what had happened before she fell asleep. _I was in the hospital... there were the doctors... and Yuki-kun was there...then, he had to leave... that's when it started to hurt. Yes, that's right, it _really_ started hurting shortly after Yuki left. It felt like someone was tearing me apart..._ she shuddered at the memory. Yet, at this moment, she felt no more of that pain. Perhaps she had merely passed out from that pain and was just dreaming. Dreaming of a happier time... It wouldn't have been the first time she yearned for the days of her youth, that's for sure.

_But this feels so... real._ She pinched her small wrist as hard as she could but felt nothing. _Oh, good. This is a dream. ... but that means I still have to wake up. _sigh _oh well, the doctors told me—well, they told my husband- that I wouldn't live much lo—_

She snapped up as it suddenly hit her. Slowly and with a trembling hand, she looked at her arm for punctures from the IVs.

None.

Then she realized something else and looked at her hands... they were hers, but not the ones she remembered. These were the hands of someone young. She moved the covers off to reveal the rest of her somehow youthful body. She had always taken care of herself and stayed in shape, but there's only so much that you can do as you age. You naturally start to ...well, "sag" in certain places that were not sagging very much right now.

The next step was logical; she walked carefully, as though on eggshells, to her vanity and looked in the mirror.

She screamed and the blackness of that same strange sleep came again.

The next thing she knew, she was being propped up by one strong pair of hands and gently fanned by another. As she stumbled once more into the realm of awareness, she heard the voices of these mysterious hands.

"How should I know '_why now_'? She was like this when I got here, so how could I know what is going on?" This voice was a nice baritone, strong, but playful... and so familiar.

"I know, I'm sorry... I just got upset. It been bad enough seeing her like this. Its like she's been waiting for something to happen... or someone to come rescue her...Like in a fairytale...a princess ...waiting... in an ageless sleep..."

This was the voice of a teenager, maybe 16 or 17 years old. It was a kind, sad voice and Tohru felt a strange kind of longing in his tone...

"My. My, aren't we the poetic one? I thought I was the literary genius in this family." The voice sighed theatrically, "Ah, well, I guess my life's work was destined to be out-done by my own little cousin... but then again, you _are_ the clever one."

"Shut-up, Shigure-san."

"Yuki-kuuuunnnnnn," Shigure whined, "why must you say such things to me?"

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," Yuki retorted.

_Hhmmm... "Shigure-san"? ...and "Yuki-kun"?gasp_

"Oh... my..." Tohru gently whispered. Unaware that she had even made a sound, she didn't understand why the hands gripping her suddenly tightened and the fanning stopped.

"Please don't stop, it's a little warm in here..." she mumbled as Shigure and Yuki sat looking shocked at her petite figure.

"Tohru-kun?" she heard one saying. For some reason, hearing that made her heart beat just a bit faster...

"Tohru-chan! Are you okay?" the other, older voice said. She felt like she was being pulled by some unseen force... towards those familiar voices... she wanted to see them again. She wanted to see those sweet, familiar faces she'd dreamed of so often. Yet, somehow it seemed too soon to see them. Part of her, seep down told her it wasn't yet time while the other half screamed that it was now or never.

Finally, she managed to open her eyes, but quickly had to shut them to re-adjust to that darn white light. _Hmm. That was like what I saw the first time I tried to open my eyes. The second time, I was in my old room. I wonder where I'll be this time._

So she slowly opened her eyes again. There wasn't the white anymore, but the two heads floating anxiously over her were blocking what light there was.

"Oh, thank goodness! Tohru-kun, are you okay?"

"Yuki...kun?" It couldn't be him. He looked like he did when they first met... back so long ago when they were in high school together.

She looked to the face of her old friend, waiting for an answer, but only saw him turn away. He looked like he was... crying.

Suddenly the hands holding her up started to lift her to her shaky feet.

"Welcome home, Tohru-kun."

She stopped. She _was_ in her old room. That _was_ Yuki-kun she'd been talking to—and he _was _crying. He wiped at his tear-stained cheeks, blushing, as it seemed only she could make him. Carefully, she reached out to him. This couldn't be real...

"Yuki...kun?"

She walked cautiously, one step at a time, toward what seemed to be Yuki. When she was no more than a few inches away from him, she lifted a shaking hand to his shoulder. But before she could make contact, his hand intercepted hers, gently, but firmly. She was startled, to say the least. She didn't really think that he would be there.

But he was. Yuki-kun was there. He was holding her hand. He was real! She was again startled when he lifted his other hand to brush away a tear she didn't even know was there...

So, if he was real... Then-that would mean that the other voice, the strong and gently supporting hands...

She whirled about to see if it was true.

"OH! SHIGURE-SAN!!!" She started laughing and instinctively went to hug him, but stopped short, remembering the curse.

"Why, my flower, why didn't you give me a hug? I can see you wanted to?" he asked it with a wicked smirk. He knew something that she didn't.

So Tohru went along with his little game. He loved so to play them when they were younger—especially with Kyo.

"I-I didn't want you to transform" she replied honestly.

He had that look in his eye— like he was about to say something inappropriate for younger audiences— when Yuki took hold of Tohru's arm and pulled her into a warm embrace. That definitely got her attention.

She winced as she waited for him to transform, but oddly, nothing happened. She had hugged Yuki and he was still there.

Suddenly Tohru was feeling a bit faint again.

Sensing this, Yuki guided her to her mussed bed and set her gently down. He kneeled so that he was at eye-level with her.

"Tohru-chan, the curse doesn't work here."

"What do you mean 'here'? How could it not work?" What was going on?

"Allow me, Yuki-kun," Shigure stepped up, now magically wearing his glasses, which always seemed to give the impression that he knew what he was talking about. He always seemed to have them on when he was explaining things to Tohru. "You see, Tohru, the curse can't work if you don't have a body, right? Right. Case closed. Am I good or what?"

"What?!" she replied to the part about not having a body more than anything else.

"Oh? I'm _not_ good?"

"No," came from Yuki.

"W-wait! That's not what I meant! I meant what do you mean about the bodies? I mean, I could feel both of you, so I know you have bodies—B-but you just said that we don't have bodies and I know you wouldn't lie to me—B-but I can feel the warmth of the room, I can feel the bed, I e-e-even pinched myself before but now that I think about it, I didn't feel that one..."

Hopelessly, Tohru began to cry. This was all a bit too unnerving for the onigiri. What was going on, here? She hadn't been this confused since the first time she accidentally made Kyo-kun transform.

"Actually, no, we don't have bodies. We don't really have the need for them here, huh?" he chuckled to himself. "After all, what would be the point?"

"W-what is ga-ga-going on? I'm s-s-so confused! The last thing I remember is b-being in the hospital and seeing yu-you," pointing to Yuki, "and then you left... and it hurt and..." she couldn't go on because its hard to rant when you_ a)_ can't think coherently and _b)_ are sobbing so hard that its difficult to breathe.

"You... don't know?" Yuki had sat next to her on the bed and tenderly laid his arms about her shoulders.

"Don't know sniff what?" She blew her nose on the napkin Yuki had handed her and lowered her head, ashamed of herself for being so stupid that she was the only one not knowing what was happening.

_Even so, Tohru, you're being silly! They were worried about you and all you do is shout at them and cry. You haven't even thanked them properly. _

"I'm sorry. sniff You were worried about me and all I do to return your kindness is yell and ask questions. I'm sor-"

Yuki just held up a slender finger to her lips. "Don't apologize."

"Sorr-" She stopped and, with a sheepish look, mutely nodded.

"_Ahem_." Oh. Right. Shigure was going to explain things before she interrupted. She nodded to him to signify that she was finally ready to listen.

"Right, then. This may be kind of a shock to you so I'll be very gentle with you... there was... how should I say this...? An... _incident_."

Tohru gasped. "An incident? Was anyone hurt?"

Shigure sighed deeply, but still smiling to himself, _Gods I missed her..._

"Unfortunately, yes, there was o-"

"Was it serious?"

Slightly exasperated by this point, but still enjoying being in the company of the dear onigiri again, Shigure continued. "Yes. There was one... casualty."

Tohru gasped. _How terrible!_ "Who?"

"You."

And as if that answered everything, he turned to look out the window and hum to himself in a very self-satisfied way.

"....................what?"

"Shigure! How can you do that to her?" Yuki fumed at his calloused cousin.

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?" Shigure asked in that infuriatingly patient way.

"Shigure!!"

Tohru was still lost.

_Did he just say that we're dead? But that's not possible! There would be pearly gates and ... oh ... my..._

Suddenly, she was feeling weak again.

Shigure turned fully to the poor, dazed onigiri and tried to explain once more.

"Tohru-chan, you're dead. I'm dead, that idiot over there," Shigure waved, "is dead, everyone is dead."

And for the third time, Tohru fainted.


	3. Beef Broccolli

Disclaimer yada yada yada. You all should know the drill by now. Not mine. Not yours. Cry ourselves to sleep at night. Only consoled by petty fan fictions...

A/N: hey! I got a review! Aside from my ma, that is (no offense, mom). I'm still really new to fanfiction so seeing that someone else has read my stuff makes me really happy!!!

Kai/Ray... you get an e-cookie... my first review! Wow. Well... I hope you like the rest of my stuff... by the way, if you haven't already and are a fan of Inu Yasha, I highly recommend 'Beast' by Ikustioa. Its really, really good. (plus she's my big sis!)

Enough shameless promotion. On with the show!

This time, Tohru did dream. Or at least it was like a dream. Or maybe more of a memory being relived...?

Whatever it was, it was like the first time she met her husband.

For years, she had been torn between Yuki and Kyou. She loved them both so much, but how could she choose one and not destroy the other? She was 23 at the time and just out of college. She had become a kindergarten teacher. But Yuki and Kyou had gotten into another fight and missed her graduation ceremony. It didn't mean _that_ much to her... but ... still, she wished they would just get along.

As she was on her way to the station, she noted how chilly it seemed for so late in spring.

_Hmm... looks like rain. Thank goodness I'll be on that warm train!_

She smiled and hummed happily to herself as she walked along. In fact, she was so pleased with things for some reason, she decided to go to that new sweets shop next to the train station.

_I think I'll get a hot chocolate._

She'd like that. Something warm to keep color in her cheeks before she went home to face the sullen and surely repentant boys. They'd only worry if she came home with pale cheeks from the cold.

_This will be such a nice treat! I heard they actually melt chocolate to make your drink!_

Inside there was no line and she was in no rush to make it to her train since she had enough time. Once she had gotten her hot chocolate, she casually strolled out of the shop.

_No need to hurry! I might spill my chocolate!_

That didn't seem to be the case for the delivery boy on his bicycle who was headed straight for her on the crowded sidewalk.

After the crash, he was apologized fiercely and helped her up. She thanked him and then apologized for being in his way when he obviously was in a hurry. Taken aback by her openly self-effacing attitude, he stopped and looked at her for the first time.

It was late spring but there was an unnatural chill to the air as a rainstorm was building overhead. She was wearing a simple but pretty peach colored dress (aside from the newly added color of hot chocolate) and had lace trimmings. It was modest—yet very becoming on her. As he looked finally at her face and her passionate eyes, he thought it was very, VERY becoming on her.

Tohru, oblivious to this kind of attention, plowed on.

"I should have been watching where I was going! Did I spill my drink on you? Its really hot... I hope it didn't, it might have burned you. Are you okay? It feels like I spilled some..."

Mutely, the stranger pointed to her chest, which was dripping with the former contents of her cup.

"What? Oh, no!" As she realized why he was pointing at her chest, she flushed and began trying to wring out the dress. "No! This was a gift from Ayame-san for my graduation and I've already ruined it!"

"No, please, it was my fault." He finally managed to get out. She had literally taken his breath away. "My name is..."

But she didn't hear him. She simply kept ranting, as if he wasn't even there.

"Dear me! I need to get this washed if I'm gonna save it!" It seemed that she hadn't even heard and had actually already forgotten he was there.

"Uuhh... Miss? Please, if you need a ride, I can give you a lift on my bike, if you would like?"

That got her attention. She looked at the bike and smiled at him. This was no ordinary smile. No human could smile like that. He could feel the wind blowing but suddenly it wasn't quite so cold...

"Thanks, but no thank you. If I did that, then you'd be late with your delivery!"

She indicated the pile of boxes on the ground, which until the crash had contained one of the largest orders he had ever seen. He looked to her. Then he looked at the now worthless food. He looked back to her. _Hmm. Angel in need? Or do I worry about loosing my job and not being able to finish school and—_and none of it mattered.

"I couldn't care less about that. You need to change out of that dress before you catch cold."

"Oh, no. I was about to catch the trai..."

In the distance she could hear the monotone voice asking people to stand behind the line, that the doors were now closing. She felt a sinking feeling as she looked at her watch to confirm that she had wasted just enough time to miss her train home. The next wasn't due for another few hours.

"Well?" he asked hopefully, patting the back of his bicycle.

She chewed her lip in indecision and sighed as she looked up at the angry sky. He nearly died waiting for her answer, knowing full and well that if she said no, if she got away, he just might very well die.

She sighed and looked at him with flushed cheeks and an odd look of determination on her sweet face.

"We need to hurry—if that's alright with you—I-I think it's going to rain..."

"Sure." Was about all he could manage to say. He picked up his bike, wiped off the spilled beef broccoli and held his hand out for her to take in an oddly chivalrous way.

That's funny. He kind of reminds me of Yuki-kun—so kind and just like a Prince! 

She giggled and took his hand with her chin held high and her first finger and thumb of one hand delicately clutching her ruined dress in an oddly dignified way.

"My lady."

"Hmm?" She looked expectantly at him.

"What?"

"I thought you wanted something. You said, 'My lady'."

He looked at her for a moment and decided it was best to let it drop. Once Tohru was settled on the back of his bike where a large basket intended for food was, the young man took off his sweater and handed it to her.

"You'll catch cold, Miss."

She blushed and tried to object but he was already starting to pedal. She put on the sweater and noted that it smelled good considering how much he must sweat in it.

I wonder what detergent he uses... 

For about ten minutes they went on in silence until he suddenly stopped dead.

"..."

He was silent and not looking at her. Something was wrong, and Tohru could tell.

"W-what's wrong?" she nervously asked him.

"......wherdoyolib?"

He said it so quickly and quietly that she wasn't sure if it was said at all.

"...what?"

He turned his head and she saw his face was an interesting shade of beet red. Somehow his look of defeat seemed so familiar...

"Where... do you live?" he asked in a defeated tone. Then she placed that look with another, more familiar face. I.e. one with orange hair and ruby eyes burning with embarrassment.

_Yep. Just like Kyou-kun._

She had to laugh at that.

"You don't have to laugh at me, you know. I feel dumb enough as it is."

"I'm so sorry. Its just that..." she giggled again but silently reproached herself. "...its just that you remind me of two of my friends. Its kind of like someone took parts of each of them and put it together to make you!"

He couldn't believe what she had just said. Was that a compliment? Was the angel complementing him?

_What am I saying?! I'm being rude. Besides, he's not cursed. He's not like any of the Sohmas, _ Tohru thought to herself.

"But there's no way you could ever be like them, not really."

What was going on? What was she talking about? Was she putting him down, or what? Who were these 'friends'...? Lovers...? Surely she had those. Just look at her...

He decided that she was in fact taken and mournfully asked again for directions to her house.

"Why? You were going the right way."

"Huh?" He thought for a moment. He had merely continued the route from his delivery. In his mind he was delivering _her_, in a way, and so he probably was about to take her to some stranger's house and drop her off for a few thousand yen. (It was a _really_ big order.)

"Just keep going where you were going and I'll tell you where to go if you don't go the right way!" she smiled again. Every time that disaster seemed to rear its ugly head, that sweet smile seemed to rescue him. He quietly sighed to himself and continued on his targeted course.

Every once in a while, he would turn and ask if there was any problem yet and she would just smile and shake her pretty head. _Man, this is my day. Nothing could go wrong!_

Cue crack of thunder and torrential downpour

"..."

"...umm... do you have an umbrella somewhere?" he heard his angel politely shout through the downpour that was currently drenching the two of them. He shook his head sadly and peddled faster, lest she should catch cold.

_Can angels even catch colds? Best to not have to find out._

He kept towards his original destination, waiting directions from his angel. _Odd. That would be too weird if..._

"We're here!!"

She cried triumphantly. Immediately, the rain stopped. She went to the porch of the house and peeked in a dark window.

He looked at the glorious old house before him. It was mainly wood, something you just never saw anymore those days, and it had a wonderful sense of timelessness about it. He looked for an address to confirm what he had suspected. This was the angel's home.

"I'm sorry I'm so late..." she was already going into the house and taking off her soaking and ruined shoes. Not knowing what else to do, he followed, dumbly.

He stopped when he heard a roar of "SURPRISE!! CONGRATS, TOHRU-CHAN!!!"

Oh god. The food was for her.

He didn't have time to think anymore about it due to some very angry sounding men yelling and questioning his angel. He swelled with anger.

_Oh no you don't! Nobody talks to an angel like that and gets away with it!_

He stomped into the house ready for a fight when he saw what had happened.

They were _worried_ about her. They were yelling to get her out of those wet clothes. They weren't hurting her.

_Oh._

He looked at the shocked and confused assortment of roughly a dozen people who were now staring at him. These people were gorgeous. It was ridiculous. There were several men in their thirties who looked like they belonged in movies, one with long, silver hair, another with his deep black hair hanging over one eye and smoking a cigarette, then one in a traditional outfit with a handsome face that suggested that though they had just seen each other for the first time, he had already played a trick on the stranger. There was a teenaged blonde-haired boy with big, round brown eyes that looked like he came from a shojo manga! And there was another, slightly older looking young man with white hair and black roots. He looked like he came from a magazine cover. Wow. This was really intimidating. Suddenly he remembered that he was staring at these strangers after busting into their house, wearing a soaking uniform from the place that was supposed to bring them their dinner.

"...uuhhhh... excuse my rudeness..." _Dammit!_ What was he going to say?

"What's going on, here?" the one in the traditional clothes said., "Did you bring the food?"

"What? Oh! Umm, no. No, I didn't. I was supposed to but you see..."

He was distracted by the man falling down the stairs. He had flaming orange hair, red eyes and though he was good-looking, he seemed to somehow be a misfit among them.

"Up yours, Damn Rat!"

_Hooboy. This isn't good._

Then came another man, roughly the same age as the one who fell. The new one had a silvery-lavender shade of hair, deep purple eyes and was, quite frankly, the prettiest man he'd ever seen. Judging by his sleek body and muscle definition, the stranger assumed that purple must have been the throw-er while red was obviously the throw-ee.

"Be quiet. You'll disturb her—again." There was a definite edge to his tone with that last part.

"Is our little flower alright?"

"Yes, Shigure." The purple-eyed man said to the one who had questioned the wet delivery boy earlier. "Who is that?"

Now, he was never sure, but it was later maintained that he actually _squeaked_ when he realized they were talking about him.

"The delivery boy. But he was saying that he doesn't have anything to deliver. He was going to explain before you two interrupted. You should learn to control yourselves, Yuki-kun, Kyou-kun." He nodded to purple and red respectively.

"Sorry." Yuki looked again to the now shivering stranger. "You must have gotten caught in the rain. I'm sorry. Here, I'll get you something warm and dry to wear—you'll catch cold, too."

"Too?"

"The lady that came in just before you did and who was about as wet as you—" he stopped dead in his sentence and looked at the poor scared man.

"P-please, let me explain!"

Tohru woke up again.

_I'd almost forgotten. The day we met. Ha, poor thing, the boys would've skinned you alive if I hadn't been listening in and explained what had happened. Then you fainted dead away with fever. Ha...How could I have forgotten?_

She opened her eyes with a smile on her face from her pleasant memory.

"Sweet dreams?" It was young Yuki again.

"Yes! I t was about the time that—"

Wait. Yuki-kun doesn't like to talk about that. He always would get so sad... 

"But didn't you say I was dead?"

He nodded. She thought.

"Then, how could I be 'dreaming'?"

He laughed. "Its not dreaming, as far as we can tell. Its just... your memories. When you need to be comforted, _He_ knows it, so He lets you relive your favorite memory to be happy again."

"_He_?"

"The Supreme One."

"God?!"

"No. Not really 'God'... but kind of along those lines. He oversees the afterlife and things of that nature."

"Oh."

"...Do you want to go downstairs? Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time."

She looked confused, so he took her hand and gently led her to the living room she knew so well from her youth.

Tears welled in her eyes as she again saw all those she had loved so...

Shigure, Momiji, Hatori, Kagura, Ayame, and, joining them, Yuki. But there was something wrong...

_Wait. _He's_ not here..._

"Where's Kyou-kun?"

From the looks on everyone's faces, she could see that either nobody knew or they really didn't want to talk about it.

"Now, Tohru-chan, that's not very nice. We've been waiting for you to wake up for all this time and all you have to say is that?"

Tohru looked to see who was chastising her and knew immediately who by seeing a small blonde head popping up over Hatori's shoulders ever so often.

"Momiji-kun!!"

She ran down the rest of the stairs and began to cry, hugging each dear friend and wondering what she had done that she would be so blessed to see her friends again this way.

Even after the shock of seeing them all again so suddenly, Tohru never could have imagined what was waiting in the doorway.

".........MOM!!!"

A/N: well? Not bad? Okay? Whatever. I love this chapter. The hot chocolate part is dedicated to my dear friend, my Amchan. I honestly don't like writing these things. The author's notes, I mean! I never know what to say so I always end up rambling. Oh well. I'll stop and just post this already.

Minna-san, ja, ne!


	4. Missed Opportunities

Disclaimer: (said in corny western/melodramatic voice)

Oh, _woe_, _woe_ is me! I do declare... I do not own fruits basket. **_(Swoon)_**

A/N: sorry bout the wait. I had to go pick up my sis in ohio. Ugh. Driving from Sandusky, Ohio to south central Texas is not fun. Especially not when you get stuck with the back seat which, after packing all her stuff from the past few months and mine and her boyfriend's traveling stuff was the size, roughly, of a can of tuna.

Whatever.

Alrighty. This chapter is another background. Please, just stick with it and don't kill me. I'm just telling the story, its not my fault. I'll get back to plot in the next chapter, I promise!!!

Tohru Honda. Such a simple name—to some, maybe. However, to those that knew her, well... words couldn't describe her kindness. Her understanding and considerate manner. Everything about Tohru Honda was simple, in a way, though. She had the faith of a child and the heart to match.

Kyoko was a wonderful person. She taught her daughter to trust and love others. She taught her to always be kind and thoughtful—what could it hurt, right? And Tohru learned. She loved her mother dearly and hung upon her every word.

As Tohru grew, she became exactly what her mother had hoped:

An honest, kind, hard-working human being.

Some laughed at Tohru, calling her naive and stupid. But those who really knew her and had been touched by her kindness knew that the others were wrong. The criticizing individuals never upset Tohru, though. If she even noticed them, she merely thought that meant she needed to work harder to be a better person.

Then the unthinkable happened... Kyoko was called away from her sweet daughter...

Tohru was passed from member to member in her family. It seemed there was no room for her anywhere. Her mother had been a little on the wild side when she was younger and it seemed that that was the only thing people could remember about her.

"_The apple never rots far from the tree..._"

So Tohru ended in the care of her father's father. He was a kind man, but decidedly old. His memory was fading and he had a habit of calling his granddaughter by his deceased daughter-in-law's name. But Tohru never minded. She was grateful to have a roof over her head and to be mistaken for her mother was a great compliment.

Though crushed, Tohru managed to continue with her life.

A few months passed.

One day, her grandfather called her to him.

"Kyoko-san?"

"...uh-It's m-me, Grandpa... Tohru?"

"I know." He just smiled. Sometimes Tohru couldn't tell if he was just playing around or not...

"You know how I've been talking about getting this dump renovated?"

Tohru scanned her memory for any pertinent info... nope. "Umm, no, I don't really remember... I'm sor-"

"So I've finally decided to do it! It should take a couple of months but once its done we can _all_ live here."

"Wait... I'm not sure I-"

"But I'm afraid we can't stay here while they're working right? I'll be staying with them, but there's not much room for a growing girl," he chuckled to himself "so is there some place you can stay?".

"Who's going to live with us-"

"I knew it wouldn't be a problem. You'll need to be out tomorrow. Okay? Great."

"Grandpa-"

"I'm excited, too. What's for lunch?" and with that, he piddled his way to the kitchen, leaving Tohru babbling to herself, trying to sort out what had just happened. Finally she hung her head in defeat and said to no one, "O-okay."

_Tomorrow? Oh no! where will I go? Uo-chan lives in such a small apartment, I couldn't intrude... but Hana-chan has such a big family, they don't need another mouth to worry about. And for so long... oh no..._

That's when it hit her: _Of course! I'll be on my own eventually, so why not start now? All right, Tohru! You can do it!!_

After lunch, she set off looking for affordable apartments. Of course, she found none since 'affordable apartments' is a contradictory term. She was getting downright gloomy just at the prospect of telling her grandpa she had no place to go. Little did she know that her salvation was waiting at the local market.

"Thank you for coming! Did you know about our super-splash-of-stellar-sized-overstocked-soon-to-be-gone-blow-out-sale?"

Even Tohru felt out of breath. She smiled a bit nervously and honestly replied,

"Umm.. n-no, I didn't hear about your... sale..."

"Great! Then I don't want to waste your time telling you about it! If you have any trouble finding the sale items, just look for the flashing blue lights. Have a fantastic day!"

And with that, Tohru was given a gentle shove out of the way. A little offended, she looked behind her to see that an entire line had been formed and weaving its way through the busy street behind her.

_Oops. I guess I'm putting everyone out, today...well, might as well see what's on sale. Hah. I wonder if they have apartments here! Ha..._

And there it was. A blue flashing light. Like a beacon in the foggy night, Tohru followed it to safety... a tent. It was perfect!

_On sale... a tent... yes! This is exactly what I need! I'll buy this tent, find a nice, safe place... maybe in those big woods behind grandpa's... but I'll set up my tent and I'll get by just fine! Yep. Tohru's Tent. This is so wonderful!_

And so it was. Tohru moved into her little tent the next day, unaware that this simple act of independence would change the very foundations she lived on. Literally.

The day of the incident started with a surprise. She'd been living in her tent for about four weeks now, and all was going fairly well. Money was tight, but she wasn't hungry and had a roo— well... she had _something_ over her head.

She decided to take a different route to school for whatever reason that day. She made sure to even leave early so she could take her time and not get lost in these massive trees.

_Its so nice out here. I can't believe nobody lives out her—_

A cabin. This was new.

She began to poke around for signs of life. Maybe it was abandoned? Maybe it was... _haunted_?!

_Oh my goodness! That's why nobody lives here! Its haunted! Oh no! I—_

She stopped when she saw, laying as if to dry, twelve small, round stones painted in the likeness of twelve different animals.

_Rat, dog, dragon, horse, sheep, tiger, rabbit... hey, that's just like the animals in the zodi—_

"Oh, my. Do my aging eyes deceive me, or is there a young girl on my front porch?"

A handsome man wearing traditional clothing had appeared in the previously empty doorway.

_Ahh! Ghost! His clothes are so old, he probably died a long time ago and wants me off his land! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no..._

"What brings you here, my little flower?" the stranger lifted a single finger to her chin and slowly lifted it until she was looking him in the eyes.

"Eep!" This was not a ghost. Definitely real. Definitely. Slightly embarrassed with herself, Tohru broke his gaze and looked down to where the animals were drying.

"I see you've found my little project. Heh."

"O-oh! Yes! They're so cute! I love the zodiac. But I did notice that you left out the cat..."

"Oh? The cat? oh, yes... you speak of the old folktale..."

"Yes, I always loved the cat the most of all! I'm a dog, myself," the man had to stop himself from giggling at her unintentional 'modesty', "but I've always wished I could be a cat—well, ever since I heard the story."

"Hmph. I wonder what _he_'d say to that. Ha."

"_He_?" The man ignored her question and plowed ahead.

"You said you were the year of the dog? Me too! I knew there was a connection between—" he had begun to lean in almost suggestively towards Tohru when he stopped abruptly. This was likely do to the book bag which had landed squarely on top of his head.

"No molesting."

Tohru looked up to see none other than Yuki Sohma; Prince, heart-throb, etc.

"S-S-Sohma-kun!!?"

"Honda-san?"

It was then that Tohru knew it was going to be a long day.

The night of the mud-slide, Tohru had just gotten home from a double-shift at work. She was having to work even harder now to support herself and go to school and all.

"I'm home, mom. Oh, boy... am I tired. But, no rest for the weary! Gotta keep on busing. [A/N I think she means 'trucking'] Once I finish my homework, then I can go to bed. _Yawn_. Hmm... I think I'll just go wash my face to wake me up. Be right back, mom."

As she lifted the flap to her tent door, however, she received the first of many, many shocks. Standing in front of her was none other than Yuki Sohma and his cousin, Shigure.

That was the beginning. She was taken into their home and, as corny as it may sound, their hearts. She met so many new people and befriended them all without hesitation. They had adventures and dilemmas, but they always managed because they were together. Awww.

As time rolled by, however, Yuki and Kyo steadily realized that their rivalry went deeper than just that of cat and rat. They didn't care about the zodiac. They cared about Tohru.

But what to do? She seemed so oblivious to how they felt. Sometimes it seemed she felt the same way, but they could never be sure. Insecurity got the better of the boys. They got used to her being there. They got used to their unspoken stalemate. At least they still had her, even if they had to share, right?

Tohru did feel the same way. It was so confusing. Sometimes, she felt like Yuki was the most wonderful person in the world. Then, she'd spend some time with Kyo and know that he, too was such a special person. Finally, after about their senior year in high school, Tohru had an epiphany: maybe they didn't feel the way she felt.

Tohru decided that this must be the case. They felt like big brothers towards her, but nothing more. It broke her heart and solved her problems all at once. Yet Yuki and Kyo had no idea of her thoughts.

So again, time passed. She eventually got good at ignoring the dull ache of a broken heart and the boys never knew they had lost their only chance to make a move.

Then, everything changed in one fell swoop. A new contender for Tohru's affection appeared. Dammit! This was their Tohru! If one of them couldn't have her, they just assumed that they all would go on this way forever. It was this thinking that cost them the most precious treasure they'd known.

It happened so quickly. On the day Tohru graduated from college, they were throwing her a surprise party. To make it feasible, the boys staged a fight as an excuse to stay home and decorate. (They sure as hell weren't about to let Shigure get all the credit for this.)

But Tohru was late. They had ordered take-out since they couldn't cook and weren't about to ask her to prepare the feast meant for her. The food was late, too. Finally, a stained and soaking wet Tohru came in, already apologizing for being so late to come home.

With her was a man. If Yuki and Kyo had realized the danger of letting this man into their lives, they probably would've beat the crap out of him right there and sent him on his merry way. But they were kind people, thanks to Tohru, and welcomed him.

He ended up getting a bad cold, as well as Tohru, and was kept in Shigure's home for almost a week. By the end of this short time, he was decidedly in love and determined to make Tohru his.

And once he was better, he asked her out. Tohru thought he meant as friends, so didn't even hesitate. After that date, he asked her again. And again. And again. Slowly but surely Yuki and Kyo realized that this man wanted to be more than just friends with Tohru. But when they went to question Tohru, she insisted that she was fine. He was just a good friend.

_Why would it bother them so? Ah! They're just being like big brothers and being protective of me!_

And things continued at this pace for a few months. Tohru was out with the man so much now that the boys had to fix themselves dinner two or three times a week. The laundry was going undone and the house was a mess.

This had to end.

None knew how fast the end was coming.

Just six months after meeting, the man proposed to Tohru. She accepted.

She was happy. Please don't think she wasn't. Tohru became the mother of two beautiful children. Her husband adored her. He gave her anything she could think of. He started off as a mere delivery boy, but ended up the owner of his own chain of food based on Tohru's recipes. They became almost as wealthy as the Sohma family, truth be told.

Yuki and Kyo were beyond heart broken. Yet they remain fixtures in her life. She was like an addiction—impossible to give up cold turkey. But maybe they could wean themselves off of that smile... learn to live without it. With out her.

When she was in her late forties, she found the lump. But, being Tohru, she didn't want to worry anyone or make a fuss, so she went to the doctor in secret. He said it was cancer. It could be treated, but it would be a long and painful process for everyone. Even then, she'd spend most of her remaining life in the hospital.

So she thought about it. After a few agonizing days, she chose to take option 'b'. She would suffer in silence and not worry her family. If it was her time, she wouldn't fight it and risk her family getting hurt. The children were older now, and could take care of themselves. She had nothing really holding her back...

The day Tohru died was the coldest day in June that Japan had ever known. It was like the sun itself was dying.

Tohru had collapsed from the pain just a few days before and was in the terminal ward of the hospital. She was fading fast.

One by one, familiar faces came in to say goodbye to Tohru. Most agree that even on her death bed, her weak smile could only be described as Springtime.

Her husband wept at her side.

Yuki wept at her side.

Kyo...never came to see her. He had left for training in the mountains again and hadn't been back for a while. He had no idea that the love of his life was dying in a hospital.

Yuki was the last to see her alive. He didn't want to leave, but visiting hours were over, and she needed all the rest she could get.

Tohru didn't want him to leave. She watched his back turning and felt true pain for possibly the first time in her life.

The pain was more than human thought could comprehend, so the blackness of the sleep before her was in fact welcome.

Death came to Tohru gently, and enveloped her like a blanket around a scared, cold child.

And she was gone. She was 48 years old.

It was quite a long time before she would 'wake up' again.

Not until they were _all_ dead.

A/N: eh? Well? Heh. My plot monkeys play guerilla warfare. Take THAT! Ha.

Expect a new chapter really soon. .


	5. Some Answers

Disclaimer: I made up the hubby, but other than that, they people that you guys care about aren't mine. Poopy.

A/N: hey, its time for me to shout out! Wee! Thank you guys for reviewing!

yay, warm fuzzies! And for clarification, the first review is, as lame as it may seem, from...my mom... Its under _my_ penname, though. I did not review myself. Its my mommy. Cuz she loves me. So there. -

Seriously, though, you guys are so awesome!

I want to recognize everyone... since there's only 6 of you...

**Kai/Ray**- wee! My first real review and the first person to put me on their fav list! Thanks soooo much! **DarkorejectL13**- I will tell you one thing: no, Kyo is not in hell. He's probably my favorite character, although its hard to choose. But no he is not the one who spends some time in the underworld. (tee hee) **Pillarchick**- aww, I luv you, too , cuz! Keep reading! **Moonlit Wanderer**- (head spinning)...so many... questions... heh. I guess that means I'm doing my job well... hee hee. (evil grin) but you'll just have to wait for your answers! **Vladmir-Illyich**- thank you so much! You are so sweet to say that! .

Alrighty. Sorry, but I wanted to recognize you cool cats who reviewed my story.

Standing there, serenely smiling, Tohru's mother waited patiently for her daughter.

"What took you?" Kyoko asked in a joking tone. But the only answer she got was a teary hug.

"...Oh, Mom...I ...I missed you so much! Wa-what's going on?! First I w-wake up in this house after s-s-s-so long and I'm ya-ya-young again and everyone is h-here and they're all ya-young, too... and they said I was dead..."

Her mom remained silent. For a moment, Tohru was more than content to just let her mother hold her. Finally, Kyoko pulled away so she could look her daughter in the eye.

"Ready?"

"...(sniff) For what?"

Kyoko just chuckled softly, took Tohru by the hand and began walking. Once they stepped outside the threshold, Tohru involuntarily recoiled. She was dead, right? So that meant that she was probably in heaven or something... but what would the outside look like? White, puffy clouds?

Again her mother laughed at her sweet daughter. Tohru opened her eyes hesitantly and was more than a little surprised to recognize what she saw as the forest surrounding Shigure's house, just as she remembered it.

"Wha-?!"

"Shh. Let's go for a walk and I'll try to explain. I was sent to kind of fill you in on everything and I wouldn't want to upset the Supreme One by leaving you confused. That's how people end up as ghosts, ya know?"

"Really?" she swallowed hard, thinking back to the first time she saw Shigure and how she was certain he was a ghost haunting an abandoned cabin in the woods.

"Alright. So... what do you want to know first? It'll be easier if you just ask questions and let me answer one at a time."

"Oh. Sure! ...um... where am I?"

"Good. Always start from the beginning. You are in the afterlife. Sorry, but its not exactly clear-cut, like Heaven and Hell. It fits more along the lines of a form of Karma.

"...?"

"Sorry. Okay...lets see... how to out it... The life you led on Earth dictates the 'life' you live here. Make sense?"

There was a pause.

"...yes... I think so."

"Maybe it'll clear up after I explain some other things. Fire away."

"Right. Were they really _waiting_ for me? They made it sound like they were. But I died before them, so why would they be waiting for—"

Kyoko held up one hand.

"One at a time, please." She smiled gently to let Tohru know she wasn't mad. "Yes. They were waiting for you. Waiting for you to 'wake up'. Yes, you did get here first, **but** you lead a good life on Earth. And when you're good, you get rewarded, right? Well, how happy would you have been to wait for two years before Shigure-sensei would come, then the next one wasn't for eleven more years til Hatori-sensei came and all in all, nineteen until everybody but one was here. That's a long time to wait. So, S.O. decided to let you 'sleep' until they were all dead, so you wouldn't wait or be alone. Make sense?"

"...But why did _they_ have to wait alone?"

"Uh... well, truth be told, they didn't lead as good a life as you did."

"What!? Oh, no! They were good people! And I was so much trouble to others! I was always inconveniencing people and I needed them to spell everything out for me and ...and..."

"You were thoughtless for yourself and always put others first, Tohru-chan. They were a bit more... _human_."

"...oh."

"Anyway. So as each one arrived, they found themselves here and waited for you to wake up. ...They've missed you even more than you missed them."

Tohru felt the familiar old rush of blood to her face as a small blush graced her smooth complexion.

"... but... why **_here_**? Why are we at Shigure-san's old house? And why do we all look so... young?"

"Ah. Another good point. Remember how I said you were basically being rewarded for a good life?"

She waited for a response from her dense daughter... and decided to just let it go.

"...ahem... well, how comfortable would you have been if you woke up to find all the people you knew walking around as they looked when they died?"

Tohru swallowed hard.

"That would not be pleasant at all."

"Exactly. When you die, even before your life is judged, you look like you did at your last breath. Then, you come before S.O. and he chooses your fate. And depending on your fate, you can look like you did at different times in your life. You look like this because you were happiest in those first few years in Shigure-sensei's home."

"Ah— but you said they didn't live as good a life as me... so why do they look like they do?"

"When you look at them, you see then like they did when you first met them, right?"

That was an odd way of putting it.

"Don't _you_ see them like that?"

"No."

Before her daughter could interrupt again, Kyoko continued.

"I see what everyone else sees. You see them the way you do as part of your reward. ...Lets not say anymore about this or else you may wish you didn't know. Okay?"

"...but..."

"Please, Tohru-chan."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Anything else?"

Tohru thought hard. There was something she was forgetting.

_For the life of me, I just can't—ha. 'for the_**life**_ of me'... but I'm dead... hee hee hee... I could give Shigure-san a run for his money..._

Tohru was gently reminded that she was making her mother wait by a gentle clearing of the throat.

"Oh! Uh... I know there's something else, but I can't seem to remember what..."

"Fair enough. But I have to go. S.O. has me running all sorts of errands for him."

"Wait! You mean you won't stay with me?!"

Kyoko knew this was coming. But actually seeing her daughter there... being able to hold her again... it was so tempting... but she knew she couldn't risk it.

"...no, baby. I _have_ to go."

"But... but..." Tohru had begun to cry again.

"Sweetheart..." Once more, Kyoko held her daughter like she had in those wonderful days on Earth. "Sweetie, Mom has a task to see to. S.O. needs me. I can't be with you until I finish."

"But why? If I can have all this, then why can't I have you, too?"

"Tohru-chan! Don't be greedy..."

"...sorry... but... could I have you ...instead... of all this?"

Kyoko was waiting for this.

"You mean you'd give up the chance to spend the rest of eternity with these people you loved so much ...just to be with me?"

"I-I ...well... but couldn't—"

"No, Tohru-chan. I will be back. But I have to do things first. Its my punishment."

"_Punishment_?! For what?"

Kyoko kicked herself. _Damn. Wasn't supposed to say that._

"Never mind. I've got to go now. If you need me, you can page me with this."

She handed her daughter a familiar-looking pager with an old Hello Kitty sticker peeling off the back.

"What..."

"...I kept it. Just call me if you need me. I won't stay for long, but I'll do my best. The more time I take to off to see you, the longer it will take for me to finish my tasks. Ja!"

And she was gone.

"...Mom... wait..." Tohru once again cried.

_Some reward. And what punishment?! And why do_ I _get 'rewarded'? And how _does_ Mom see everyone else? And where's Kyo-kun?_

"MOM! WAIT! I REMEMBERED! WHERE'S KYO-KUN?! MOM! MAMA!..." She was crying and yelling but she knew that wasn't the way to get what she wanted. She sat in silence for a moment, contemplating what all had happened.

"Tohru-chan?"

She whipped her head around to see Shigure standing at the door, looking concerned.

"Tohru-chan, are you alright? You were yelling so loud, we thought you'd wake the dead." He put a slightly guilty look on his face, indicating that he'd probably been saving that pun for a few years. A goofy but proud smile broke across his handsome face.

Tohru had to laugh at that.

"Thank you Shigure-san. You always seem to know what to say to cheer me up!"

"I know. Come inside, Tohru-chan."

"Yessir!" It was so good to be back.

"Sorry about that. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long."

"So what was she doing here?"

"...What do you mean? That was my mom..."

Judging from the looks she was getting... something really weird was going on here.

"Wasn't it?" This was really, really weird.

"Never mind about that! What do you want to do now, Tohru-san?!" Momiji hadn't changed a bit. He looked so young! Back before fame had corrupted him for that short but turbulent time.

"Good question! ... uh... What is there to do? Is anyone hungry?"

There was an awkward silence as they politely waited for her to realize what she had just asked.

But before she had the chance to, Yuki smiled and simply said, "Famished."

And so, Tohru went to the familiar kitchen, put on her old apron ,_Right where I left it!_ And proceeded to rummage through the fridge to see her options. She settled for beef stew and happily hummed as she went about her work.

She hadn't cooked for people in so long. Her boys had always been so busy, they usually just grabbed some fast-food between activities and it was a rare treat that they all sat down to dinner together.

In mid chop, Tohru stopped. It felt like her blood was running cold as it hit her. Her children. Her husband. They weren't here.

A/N : Sorry its so short. It seemed like a good stopping place, though. If I didn't stop here, the chapter would have been around twenty pages or something ridiculous like that. (just kidding, sis. I love long chapters, but mine have all been so short, I'd rather keep it consistent.) Anywhoo, I hope that answers some of your questions and brought up new ones. Talk to me about it! - I'd love to hear your thoughts! The next chapter will be back up to snuff length-wise. I promise. -

Toodles!


	6. The Book

Disclaimer: think about that word... 'dis' and 'claimer'. So, really this has nothing to do with me. This is about anyone stupid enough to try and claim furuba as their own. See? I 'dissed' any 'claimer' .... Never mind...

A/N: I am so uber-sorry I took so long to update! I had a lot going on, though! I just started my first semester of college after getting back from a cross-country car trip with my sis and her boyfriend. Please, forgive!!

But this is a long chapter. Yay. Well, not LONG, but longer than the last one, for sure!

**Grrl N:** heheh... clever! The hubby's name is TBA for a specific reason and I was planning on talking about the Sohma's pasts. Really! I have about three pages of notes about their lives after Tohru marries! I even made a really big chart that has their ages at the time of each person's death, so I can keep things in perspective!

**Somewhatcrazy:** whee! -

**VladmirIllyich:** Kyo is dead. Remember? Go back and re-read the very end of the first chapter.

Odd chapter here... it got so agnsty! I was surprised! The first half is Yuki's past, then it picks up where 5 left off, if you get confused... (sorry)

Enough stalling. On with the show!

* * *

Sohma Yuki never stopped loving Tohru.

Never.

It had never occurred to him that she might leave them. She had always been there. Well, before she came... that time wasn't even worth remembering. As far as Yuki was concerned, his life began when Tohru touched his heart.

There had been this strange, unspoken stalemate between Yuki and Kyo. Neither wanted to loose her. Both loved her beyond words. But how could they make her choose? Thus, the stalemate.

That fateful day, when she came home with a stranger, that was the first time it even occurred to them that they could both loose.

But she was happy. She insisted that he was 'just a friend' and wanted them all to be friends. Yuki wanted to beat the crap out of this guy, quite frankly. But if Tohru wanted it, he would not deny her.

And of course, this stranger turns out to be a really nice guy. He's a little shy, but it was obvious to Yuki that he was madly in love with Tohru and would go to extravagant lengths to win her from Yuki and Kyo.

Naturally, Tohru was oblivious to all of this.

Tohru started going out with the stranger.

More and more often, she would leave food in the fridge with a note to just heat it up and not to wait up for her. Laundry was undone and the house was slowly reverting to the pre-Tohru days.

But...

She _glowed_. She was radiant. She was really happy. She was in love and there was nothing Yuki could do about it.

She treated him as she always had, but it wasn't the same. Even so, Yuki was just happy to see her happy and to have her nearby. As long as she was still near him, he had the courage to stand in the wings.

She'd come back to them, soon. She had been asked out before, but never had she ... responded this way.

But she had always come back to them, right?

She had to come back, right?

On Tohru's wedding day, Yuki thought he was literally going to die.

Dear lord, she was so beautiful.

She had asked Shigure to give her away and Yuki was to be the best man, since _he_ wanted to involve as many of Tohru's friends as he could.

When he watched Tohru kiss her new husband, he felt a part of him go numb. It was a part he had completely forgotten about since she had awakened it.

He watched her dance with her husband. She was happy. There was nothing he could do about it.

... it should have been him...

Yuki threw himself into work and school after that. He didn't care about anything anymore. His life had no meaning except between visits to Tohru's new home.

After almost a year had passed, Tohru announced that she was going to be a mother.

Yuki was there every step of the way.

Akito had set Yuki up with a small international business company and Yuki had made it a monster conglomerate. He was beyond wealthy, but lived comfortably.

When Tohru's first son, Yoshiro, was born, Yuki showered them both with presents. He blamed his enthusiasm on his own lack of a family but he really wished that maybe he could still win her over.

He knew money wouldn't win her, but it was all he had left. Deep down he knew that she was gone forever, but he refused to give her up. He _would_ be a part of her life.

He was named god-father of Yoshiro and truly came to love him as his own son.

When Yuki was almost 30 years old, Akito presented him with another arranged marriage.

This was the fourth one since Tohru had married and was by far the most impressive offer. She was the daughter of a major competitor and their marriage would be beyond beneficial to both sides.

For a long time, Yuki used to Zodiac as an excuse to not marry. But when he was 25, Hatori had discovered a medicine that could suppress the rush of chemicals responsible for their transformations. In other words, he'd beaten the curse.

So as long as a Sohma took this medicine, they were impervious to the curse.

Unfortunately for Yuki, this meant he was more than able to marry now. He stalled as long as he could, but Akito was getting impatient.

Most of the girls he'd been offered were major dogs, to be quite blunt about it. None of them were a match for Tohru.

This girl, though... she wasn't half bad. So he agreed to at least meet her.

She was pretty. And sweet. But... he knew he'd never find another Tohru, and he didn't care anymore... he'd lost his ability to really love...

So he married her. Her name was Tomoko. She was a good wife to Yuki. She loved him, of course, and ran a well-kept house for him. She was, however, barren.

They didn't know this until after trying for a few terrible years... Akito wanted an heir and Tomoko wanted to give her husband a child. The poor woman was making herself sick in her depression and her health was rapidly fading. Finally, Hatori stepped in and confirmed that Tomoko was infertile.

They were happy enough. Or, at least, they _seemed_ happy. Tomoko blindly loved Yuki and his returned luke-warm feelings were enough to keep her satisfied.

Yuki was being eaten alive by his guilt. Guilt over _pretending_ to love her.

When he was in his late 40's, Tohru began to grow noticeably weaker.

One day, she collapsed.

It was cancer.

The last time he saw her, she was in her hospital bed and it was almost time for him to go, but she wouldn't let him leave. She was trying not to cry, but it was obvious she was in tremendous pain.

She asked him to smile for her before he left. She said she hadn't really seen it in years and she missed it.

The last thing he felt like doing was smiling. He was watching the lost love of his life slowly and painfully die. He felt so helpless. There wasn't a damn thing he could do to save her.

But all she wanted from him was a smile. He didn't know if he even could anymore.

So, he dug deep into the back of his frozen heart to the first day they really met.

She'd discovered their secret and he told her they might have to erase her memory. All she did was ask him to still please be her friend if she did lose her memories.

So, today, almost thirty years later, once more he smiled for her.

Some nurse came in and told him he had to leave so she could rest.

He squeezed her hand and she feebly returned the gesture. He tucked her in to keep her warm, turned and walked away, lest she see his tears.

When he turned around, she was gone. He was 48 years old. Those who knew him well say they never saw him smile after that day.

When Yuki was 50, he became leader of the Sohma family when Akito died in his sleep.

* * *

Yuki died when he was 78 years old of a heart attack. 

Yuki had left where the others were.

This was getting to be too much... She was here again. After so long, she was awake. And the worst thing of all was that she didn't seem to know...

He looked at his reflection in the hall mirror.

He saw an old face.

One decaying... dying... what was it that she saw? She smiled at him like... like nothing was wrong.

He walked to the room that wasn't there before. For some reason, he always felt more at ease there. Maybe because there weren't any memories of _her_ here. Nobody knew why the room was there. But it was the same for them all: they woke up in there... cold and alone. There was no door but there was one window which seemed impossibly high up.

Where were they? They wanted to leave. It was always the same. Yet, some force compelled them... there was something they had to do before they would be allowed to leave. It definitely was not their choice.

Then the Book came.

Yuki shuddered every time he even thought about that damn book. Yuki had spent what seemed like another lifetime confessing to the Book. He had written every word known to man and still lacked the vocabulary to describe his guilt.

Before they could enter the same house as her... they needed to be ...clean. To confess their transgressions and to admit their faults and failings. In order to be worthy of what lay beyond that horrible room, they had to do this task. Somehow this they knew, but nothing more.

One thing was different for each of them: what they were required to write.

Some merely needed to write their pasts—unbiased. That was enough. Others...had to painfully strip each of the layers they'd spent an entire lifetime building up.

Not that all their sins were entirely their fault. The spirits had tainted their host souls. Still, the sin was on their heads.

Another thing they all had in common... regret over Tohru. Some blamed themselves for her death—particularly Hatori. He should have recognized...

Some blamed themselves for not being worthy of her kindness.

And most cursed themselves that they didn't tell her what she had meant to them.

Yuki, oddly enough, really felt at peace when he went in there, now. It was like a new birth for him. Even though he'd been through Hell in this strange room...

He smiled ironically as he realized he felt the same way about the room Akito had locked him in for so long all those years ago. He feared it, but he couldn't leave it for long.

He walked to where the Book lay, resting upon its stand and bathing in the unnatural beam of light which fell from the impossible window. He hesitated. He was ashamed and almost afraid to touch it, even after so long.

"I knew I'd find you here...Yuki-kun, you're so morbid!"

He flinched from the surprise and quickly berated himself for letting Shigure catch him in here again.

"...yes?"

"Tohru-chan finished our lunch! Oh! This is heaven! I knew it!"

"...She doesn't see us. Not really. She thinks she does, but if she did, she wouldn't be so happy... would she?"

That sobered the dog. "Yuki. Don't mess with this. Its beyond us and always has been. We'll give her the Book soon. Just be patient, okay?"

* * *

Tohru was beyond happy. She was dead, but reliving the most wonderful time in her life. All those she'd grown up with were here. Everyone was so happy... 

But something was definitely very wrong. They weren't telling her something. It seemed that every time she realized something really important, something else caught her attention and then she couldn't remember what it was she had been thinking of.

She was thinking about _something_ before the stew started boiling over. That was so weird. She was sure she had just turned it on, so there was no way it could have gotten that hot that fast... what was she thinking about that was taking her so long to figure out?

There was something else. She was certain there was something she was forgetting. This was happening too much. And it was really important for her to figure this all out, she could tell.

She stopped and froze. She felt like someone was staring at her.

_Who is it?... not Shigure-san.... Yuki-kun? Nope... ah! Got it!_

"Hungry, Hatori-san?"

She heard a short chuckle and an embarrassed clearing of the throat.

_Still got it!_

"Yes. It smells wonderful. Is it ready?"

"Shigure-san was supposed to tell everyone! Where is he?"

Without thinking, Hatori responded to the onigiri's question, "In the Room with Yuki-kun."

Tohru slowly put down her ladle as a look of 'I shouldn't have told you that' spread across the Sohma family doctor's face.

"What room?"

Hatori was opening his mouth to redirect her attention when a certain over-enthusiastic and astoundingly boar-like girl came running in.

"Tohru-chan's beef stew!!! Outta my way, old man!" In his last few years of his life, Hatori had oddly enough grown closer to Kagura.

The bond was apparently still firmly intact.

"Kagura-kun. Watch your manners. Did you even wash before you came barging in here?"

"S-sorry..." She had reverted to her alter-ego. With a sweet, almost angsty look on her face, she took one last longing look at the stew on the stove before going to wash her hands.

"And what about you, Hatori-san?" Tohru asked teasing taking his hands and inspecting them for any sign of dirt.

He smiled in relief. _She's already forgotten. Good. ...She'll know soon enough._

"Yes, ma'am," he responded in false submission. He had opened up to her so much after he had delivered _both_ her children. There was a bond in that kind of act which cannot easily be broken.

Besides, ever since she had her own children, it was like she had been possessed by her own vengeful spirit. Except this one was packing them goodie bags every time they visited. She cooked them dinner constantly. She even did their laundry when she came to visit. It wasn't like they could stop her, even if they had wanted to.

There was something wonderful about watching her in those years. She glowed as only a new mother could. And, being who she was, that only drew those around her in even more...

"Time to eat! Quit yapping in there and lets get on with this!" Tohru heard this from the kitchen and was more than a little surprised to realize who'd said it.

"Kagura-kun!! You're starting to sound like Black Haru-chan! HOHOHO!"

...Only one person had that kind of arrogant laugh.

"Ayame-san! Don't tease. Hatsuharu-kun hadn't been Black in years before he disappeared." Shigure had re-appeared with Yuki in tow.

"...Di-disappeared?" Tohru wasn't sure if she had heard them correctly. Come to think of it, where was he? She could have sworn she saw him when she first came downstairs...

"Hmm? Oh, right. You were gone by then!" Shigure smiled as he spoke as if he was saying she'd merely gone to buy groceries and not _died_. "But we'll talk about that later. For now... Beef Stew!!!"

And with that, he pranced off to the table, chanting "beef-stew-of lo-ove, beef-stew-of lo-ove!"

It wasn't a problem until Aya started in, the two of them prancing about the living room, hands on hips, doing cha-cha kicks every few steps. That was when Yuki stepped in.

A/N: well? I wanted to end it on a happier note, I guess. I don't like this chapter that much. Well, at least not Yuki's past. Its so sad! Oh well... review me! Bah.


	7. Dirty Dishes

Disclaimer: Watashi wa furutsu basuketo o (own) ...ja nai. or something to that effect.

A/N:hah! feeble attempt at romanized japanese! take that! sorry i took so long... :( terrible case of writer's block plus sister and i getting re-adjusted to home and school life and boyfriend dumping me and being sick all kind of tend to keep one from updating.

i know, excuses, excuses...

those who've reviewed, you get a tokkuten! yay! if you ever take japanese lessons from a tall blonde white guy named murphy, tell him you have one 'o these babies and he'll add a point to your grade. trust me, these things are like gold.

anywhoo, chapter turned out longer than i thought, but this is good! plus, my writer's block is gone! now i have creative diarrhea! wee!

* * *

It looked like everyone was asleep...

After the wonderful meal everyone gathered to play one huge round of Dai Hin Min which lasted literally for hours.

Seven was a big number to have playing, so they had to get a bit creative with the ranks they made up (actually, they long ago had made up unique names for each position in the game's caste system but depending upon how many were playing, the roles varied). In the end, the names of each rank were as follows:

Ulitimate Supreme-o Numer-o Uno Burrito Guy

Manga-ka

Melon

Waffle

Peon

Dirt

And...

Amoeba

Everyone lost at least one hand, which made it really fun. If one had been a cruel 'Rich Man', they would pay for it later, when _they _were the 'Poor Man'.

It ended up being Ayame who won in the end ("Ultimate Supreme-o Numer-o Uno Burrito Guy"). Yuki was a close second ("Manga-ka"—yes, they did purposely choose to call him that), but poor Shigure had lost by a landslide to become the Amoeba.

Which would explain why he was doing the dishes, even hours after the game had ended and he began cleaning the enormous mess they left in the kitchen.

Tohru wanted to help him clean, but they wouldn't hear of it. They made her take a long bath and go to bed early, but she secretly was planning to wait until they were asleep to creep downstairs and help the poor dog. And it seemed now was her chance.

"Uh... Shigure-san?" she timidly peeked into the kitchen only to find it empty—at first glance. Upon further inspection, though, she found the dog curled up on the floor next to the sink.

All-in-all it was quite a sight. Shigure had obviously thought it was a good idea to wear something over his clothes, so as to not make a mess of them. To reach this end, he'd borrowed Tohru's favorite apron—the one with the strawberries on it that the boy's had given her for her birthday when she turned 17.

His hand was stuck in the cabinet door below and to the side of the sink. It seemed that he'd been in the middle of getting more soap when he'd fallen asleep.

_He looks so sweet when he sleeps!_

She couldn't help but giggle to herself softly as she ran and got a light blanket and put it over him.

"hmm...?" Shigure lifted his head as soon as the blanket made contact.

_oops! I woke him!_

"Umm... s-sorry to wake you, Shigure-san. I was just g-going to come down and help you f-ffinish the dishes w-when I found you like this..."

His face said he was confused and sleepy but mostly confused. He looked at her for a moment before speaking:

"...Santa...?"

".........ah... umm, well, Shigure-san, n-no, I'm _not_ Santa..."

"Oh. Good. _YAWN_ ...Wake me when its time to open presents..."

"...o-okay..."

And he turned over on his side, cuddling with the blanket she'd brought him.

_I'll just let him sleep while I finish the dishes for him..._

And she began to finish where he had left off. Just as she was putting the last plate away, as if on cue, Shigure woke up.

"Oh, Tohru-kun. What're you doing awake at this hour of the night?" he inquired in a voice that clearly said he had _not_ just woken up.

"I was helping you finish the dishes!"

"Ah, Our sweet flower! So thoughtful!" He wiped an imaginary tear away.

Tohru just giggled and went about tidying up the kitchen. As she was folding the blanket previously occupied by the sleeping dog, he cleared his throat, getting her attention.

"Tohru-kun. I have something I would like to give you..."

"GASP! Oh, no! Shigure-san, you've all been so good to me, please, don't bother yourself –"

He just held up one patient hand and waited for her to pay attention to him.

"Let me re-phrase that... There is something you need to see. The others may not want you to see it so soon, as you just woke up and everything... but I've been told that this is the time to give it to you."

"Just follow me, please..." then he turned and walked up the stairs so quietly, Tohru wondered if he was actually making _any_ sound at all. While she was pondering this, Shigure stopped and she bumped into him seeing as how she wasn't paying attention.

"Oops! Sor—"

"shh." Shigure was donning an expression she'd rarely seen: genuinely serious. They'd reached the end of the second story hallway and Tohru looked around to try and see where they were going next. Shigure looked both ways, like a ninja stealthily approaching his target.

"...Wait here, Tohru-kun." and he opened the door and disappeared.

Tohru was really confused. There hadn't been a door there—not ever. And yet, now there was...? Her confusion, added to her lack of sleep catching up with her, made for a dangerously low level of awareness.

_Odd... oh, well, I'm certain Shigure-san will explain everything to me. I wonder what it is? What if its candy? I haven't gotten candy in a long time. I wonder why? I like candy. But why would he be giving me candy now? Besides, he said the others wouldn't want him to give this to me... so maybe it _is_ candy...?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door once again opening and Shigure popping his head out with an embarrassed look on his face.

"...Sorry about this, Tohru-kun, but it seems that _I_ can't take it out, _you_ have to be the one to see it of your own free will..."

He saw she didn't understand and sighed. "Don't worry, I was afraid you didn't know what's going on... but... instead of waking everyone with all this talking, why don't you come in _here _and I'll explain things a little better, hmm?"

"O-okay..."

_All this over candy? Surely not. Unless its, like, Godiva chocolate. That stuff is really expensive!_

"Tohru-kun?"

"Ah! S-sorry! I'm coming! Coming!"

Tohru was just a bit unnerved as she entered the dark chamber. There was one window very high up, and a shaft of moonlight shone down onto the pedestal in the center of the room. She looked around to see nothing around her. There were no visible walls, doors or anything besides the window and pedestal. She turned to Shigure with a nervous expression and he signaled with a nod that she should approach the light.

_Why would they keep Godiva chocolate in this weird room? And it'll be melted if they left it in the light—even though it does look beautiful that way... heh, leave it to my boys to do something like this: go through all this trouble to give me a present that's gonna be melt—_

She had reached the shaft of light. She saw not a box of chocolates, but rather, an ancient tome... worn around the edges, but somehow it seemed as though it was strong enough to outlive time itself...

When she was mere centimeters away from touching its weathered cover, she heard Shigure swallow hard and instinctively recoiled from the book

_Why is he scared? Its just a book, right? Am I doing something wrong?_

She looked to him and opened her mouth to inquire further, but he just gave a weak smile, shook his head and motioned for her to continue.

More than just a little shaken, she hesitated once more before steeling herself and grabbing the book in her small hands. Upon contact with the leather of its cover, she'd braced herself for some mystical impact.

From the way Shigure was acting, she figured this might be something dangerous...

When no bolt of lightning smote her, she exhaled and realized she'd been holding her breath in anticipation. She looked herself over to see if maybe she'd been changed or harmed: _nope, all clear! That's a relief..._

Shigure let out a huge breath that apparently he was holding as well and began to softly applaud her, a smile gracing his handsome face.

"Well done, Tohru-kun. For a moment, I thought you were going to back out of your own task."

"My task?" That sounded familiar...

"Oh. She _didn't_ discuss it with you then... just as I'd surmised. But no big deal... I'm sure you'll figure things out soon or spend all eternity as a lost soul in a perpetually tormented existence."

He said it so cheerily, Tohru wondered if she heard it correctly.

"...sooo.... I'm supposed to... read this...?"

"How should I know?"

Taken aback by the unexpected remark, she stumbled for the words to explain herself.

"Oh! I-i'm sorry! It's just that...w-well, it seemed that y-you knew what was g-g-going on, so I as-s-sumed that you knew..."

"Nope. I was just told to give you the Book. That was part of my task. I don't know the rest yet. But I do know that it will come from you doing yours. So... do your best, Tohru-kun!" He smiled and gave her an exaggerated thumbs up.

For a moment, she didn't know what to do... she was still processing all he'd told her. And smiling, she returned the sign that she wouldn't let him down.

"...Shigure-san?"

"Yes?"

"...um, I was wondering...about this book...?"

"What is it?"

"Did you write it?"

"...Yes... and no."

"But how can that be? I know you wrote a lot of books, but I never read many and I always felt bad about that..."

"Tohru-kun, its not one of my books."

"Oh." After a moments thought, she earnestly replied, "So... could I read one of _yours_ instead? ...this one is really long..."

"No, Tohru-kun, you must read _this_ book."

"But you said you wrote it, so what difference does that make?"

"I didn't write it."

"But you said—"

"—That I did _and_ didn't write it. One 'chapter' is mine. And even then, you could argue that _I_ didn't write it..."

Now she was really confused. A brief moment ensued before she ventured another question.

"What is it about?"

"hmm?"

"This book. What is it about."

The look that came over Shigure's face was one like that of a cat who'd just trapped a mouse.

"I only know about my chapter. The rest, I haven't the foggiest."

"But—"

"Tut-tut! No more questions! What's done is done. You can start in the morning—well, later in the morning, I guess! The sun will be up soon and you need to rest! You may be dead, but your spirit does tire and need nourishment."

Come to think of it, she'd wondered why she'd been hungry and tired.

Noting the surprised look on her face, Shigure continued, "Surely you of all people figured out a long time ago that souls have feelings, too, right?" And with that he shuffled over to the perplexed young girl and began gently herding her away from the light.

But something wasn't right. There was no door. Tohru couldn't see the door anymore. There was only the soft darkness and the sharp light from the window. She wasn't sure why, but she desperately wanted to stay. She began to become frightened. Something was telling her to go back to the light before she was lost forever. She was truly beginning to panic when, without warning, she was back in the dimly lit hallway, perfectly safe. She turned behind her to check and make sure the darkness was really gone but all she saw was a blank wall.

The door was gone. And so was Shigure. This was starting to remind her of some cheap ghost story...

"..._TOOOHHHRRRUUUUUUUUUUU_..." She heard a chilling voice calling, as if from beyond the grave and felt a cold hand firmly fall on her slender shoulder. Once her nerves had transmitted this to her brain and it registered, she screamed.

"HELP! SHIGURE-SAN!!!"

Almost immediately the hand came over her mouth in a vain attempt to silence the frightened girl. Her primal instincts took over and she searched her brain for some way of defending herself from disembodied voices and hands that grab one in the dark. Remembering a scene from an anime she saw many years ago, when the heroine was grabbed from behind, to escape she bit her captor's hand.

_Yes! Bite! Bite good! Hand let go if bite!_

And so, with all her might, she bit.

And she was rewarded for her efforts by a quiet hiss of pain and shock.

"Is this how you repay those who help you? That is no way for a damsel to thank her rescuer..."

She turned to see that she had in fact bitten Ayame, who'd apparently come to see what was going on when she started screaming. Mortified by her mistake, she took his injured hand and began sobbing her apologies.

"AH! Oh, I AM SO SOR—"

Again came the hand—but this time, she saw who it belonged to and therefore, did _not _bite. Ayame sensed she wasn't about to attack again and breathed a sigh of relief.

"My dear princess, if you keep shouting, you'll wake the entire house-hold!"

"Too late! I'm awake now! Tohru-kun, what's wrong, you were screaming! I was worried! Was Aya-san taking advantage of you?" The young rabbit rambled at such an exhausting pace, it was truly extraordinary.

"Ah! N-no! A-a-ayame-san was... that is... I was ... and a hand... and I bit... and ... and..." She was almost hyper-ventilating as she tried to act out what she was having so much trouble saying.

But Momiji wasn't listening anymore. Satisfied she was okay, he turned and headed for the door which lead to Hatori's room.

"Since I'm up, I think I'll start waking people up now! It's almost morning anyway, right? And I want to play more Dai Hin Min!"

"B-but! But..." Tohru's weak pleas fell upon deaf ears and she soon gave up her feeble attempt to restrain the impetuous boy.

"Tsk-tsk. Tohru-kun, I thought I told you to go to bed! Why don't you listen to your guardian?"

Shigure had mysteriously re-appeared and without any further adieu ushered Tohru to her room and closed the door behind her. "You'll want to rest a bit longer before you start breakfast!" And he was gone.

Alone with her thoughts, Tohru realized she was missing something...

_Hmm? What could it be? Oh, well... I'm so sleepy... why was I up? Oh! Yes, I went to help Shigure-san with the dishes. Then he was asleep... and then he wanted to give me something... what was it...? Cho..chocolate...?_

And she fell asleep.

She dreamed of the past again. But this time, it wasn't her past she saw.

In the Room, the Book had been opened to the first page... waiting for a chance to reveal itself to her...

* * *

A/N: heheh... well? wot cha tink? eh? spek oop, ah canneh 'ear ye!


	8. Wet Lips

Disclaimer: stuff... you know the drill. not mine, doesn't mean I can't lust after them... etc, etc...

A/N: Well, here we go! Thnaks to those who are reviewing--it means sooo much to me and really keeps me going! .

BTW: I forgot to explain dai hin min last time... its a card game they play in furuba... if you want a better explanation, check out the back of the ... runs to check ...yep! end of the second manga has a thourough walkthrough of how to play the game. (oh! and the name translates to "Rich Man, Poor Man")

Just one more thing: if you want to see more about the game, read my sis's fic's latest chap. without meaning to, we both ended up putting it in our last chapters! (I thought that was funny...)

On with the show!!__

* * *

_Who is that?...he has... white hair—an old man?!_

The grainy vision before Tohru told her she was dreaming. But this was definitely different than any other dream she'd had. For one thing, she wasn't in it. It felt like she was watching a movie, more than a dream.

_An old man...?_

The image of a man lying on a hillside; only his white hair visible struck a painfully familiar cord with Tohru.

_This is like... when I met Hatsuharu-kun... I remember I called him an old man because I saw his white hair and just assumed... heh... ... come to think of it... Haru-san... I don't think I've seen him at the house... but why wouldn't he be here? Oh! Better pay attention, Tohru, something's happening!_

The man was being approached by another man of roughly 30-something in a pinstripe suit and leather brief case. The new man leaned to speak with the Haru look a-like and handed him a business card. The business man straightened up, nodded smartly, and walked off.

_... what is going on? Did I miss something? That man in the suit... giving the other man who looks like Haru-san a business it be... yakuza?!_

Then the man lounging began to prop himself up on his elbows, examining the card with a wary attitude. He turned it over once or twice, shrugged, and put it in his coat pocket. He got up and began to walk away, and in so doing, revealed his identity to Tohru.

_Ah! It _is_ Hatsuharu-san! But he looks much older than when we first met... and he has a different coat... hmm... let me think...Oh yes, I remember now... that was the one he got after he ruined his in a fight with Kyo-kun. Yes, that's the one we pitched in and gave him as a replacement for the fuzzy white one. But I only saw him wear it a few months before..._

The changing of scene required Tohru to focus once again at her 'dream' and stop letting her thoughts wander. 

Now they were at a big building. It looked like one of the ones making up downtown Tokyo.

_What is Haru-san doing here? Wait... this is... familiar..._

Haru walked in through the elaborately etched glass double doors into a fancy corridor ending with a snooty secretary who told him to wait until they called for him. He was getting irritated, but politely nodded and sat where she'd pointed.

After a while, the same man from before walked in with his arms outstretched and smiling at Haru. He was saying something, but Tohru couldn't tell what...

After embracing an embarrassed Haru, the man led him away, down another hallway and into...

_A photo shoot! I knew it! This is what happened when Haru-san was asked to do some modeling! He'd just been fired from his last job for loosing his temper and throwing a customer through the window. They say all she wanted was extra ketchup for her fries... __So... this is when Haru-san was about 25. He was so handsome, just like all of the Sohmas! I know Yuki-kun was always asked to model, but never would..._

Again, time seemed to skip ahead and she now saw Haru holding several men by their collars—obviously in his 'Black' personality— and grinning demonically while interrogating them as to whether they thought _real_ men would "wet their lips" or not.

Tohru felt embarrassed for him (even though she knew how _this_ job would end). His black side had gotten steadily more and more violent as he'd gotten older.

He would get his contract suspended until he could learn to control his temper, and that was that. He'd gone to Tohru for help, since he liked this job—for the most part.

"It's easy. I just stand there and they take my picture. It pays well, too..."

Tohru knew that he'd had some debt trouble and really needed this money. So, she found a therapist and started taking Haru to see her.

The anger management classes were actually working. Haru hadn't gone 'Black' in almost two months when the incident occurred.

Haru was just finishing a shoot when the doors flew open and standing there, fuming, was Kyo.

Kyo had disappeared after Tohru's wedding and hadn't been seen since. He must have been making a run for supplies or something in the city when he saw Haru's picture and went ballistic. He couldn't believe that one of the zodiac would draw that much attention to himself. It was like he was asking to have the curse (while not a problem due to Hatori's drug) discovered.

When Kyo burst into that room and picked a fight with Haru, all hell broke loose. Even after the fight was over and the police had left the scene, Kyo left, but Haru couldn't be soothed. It took Tohru to finally calm him down. When he changed back to himself, the realization of what he'd done was almost too much to take.

He had almost killed three innocent people in his rage.

Ashamed and disgusted with himself, he left Tokyo and moved far away. Nobody was sure where he'd gone... but that mystery was now solved as Tohru continued to watch the images before her. Though, before things were a bit more coherent, since she'd known about them, even if she wasn't _there_.

Now it seemed she was being shown where he'd run off to. 

..._some snowy place... ah! I recognize that park! Its in Sapporo! I went there once on vacation with the boys. Its a really big camping spot for boy scouts... why would Haru-san be there?_

Tohru wondered about the possibility of his getting lost on the way to somewhere else and just staying in Sapporo.

... _but what could _keep_ him there?_

Then there he was, looking more rugged than she had ever seen him before. And not a good, Brawny-man flannel shirt rugged. But rather, a tired, and strained ragged. She felt a sharp pain in her heart as she recognized the distinct shade of guilt behind his eyes.

It was obvious that several years had passed but looked like he'd aged by several lifetimes. Then Tohru heard something. It surprised her, as she realized that she hadn't actually _heard_ any noise or voices or anything at all— besides her thoughts, she hadn't heard anything since the secretary... yes, yes Tohru definitely heard the voice of the snotty secretary when Haru first arrived, but she hadn't heard anyone else...

_Why did I hear her...?_ GASP_! She was one of the three that Haru-san... oh my..._

Her thoughts were interrupted once more by the sound she now placed as the laughter of children.

She saw the guilt behind Haru's eyes lighten as he smiled gently and picked up a boy of about seven and began to tickle him playfully. Almost a dozen more boys of the same age charged after the first boy and tackled Haru with mock aggression in a futile attempt to free their comrade.

_They... they're boy scouts! How cute!_

And she noticed then that Haru, too was wearing a uniform. It clicked in her mind:

_He's their leader... so that's why he stayed in Sapporo... he found these kids and... took them camping! Haru-san is such a good person..._

Laughing, the boys helped their leader up and began forming a long line before marching into the woods before them.

And somehow, Tohru _knew_ this was THE trip.

The last time anyone heard or saw from him was when he was camping in the woods and got lost. He was never found.

_So...why am I seeing this? Iis he still alive?! He'd be so old! He'd be... lets see...what year is it? If I have it right, then if I was still alive, I'd be 99... so if he's still alive, Haru-san's... 97 years old!!!_

Somehow she couldn't bring herself to imagine the young and handsome Hatsuharu as an old man. It seemed too... cruel.

_But when did he die? And how? And where is he now? AGH! I'm not used to dreams that make me think so much... but wait. If this is a dream... then does that mean what I saw isn't real? But it makes sense... and it seems so real... not really a dream... but like someone is trying to tell me something... something really important... maybe..._

She wasn't sure but she thought she'd heard a book closing when she was roused from her slumber by Momiji screeching at the top of his lungs.

"TOHRUUUUU-KUNNNNNN!!!!! BREAKFAST TIME!!!! WE'RE HUNGRY!!!" 

"Shh! She's still sleeping! We've managed to make our own breakfast for long enough, haven't we?"

"But Yuki-kun!"

"No, Momiji. Let her sleep."

"Sorry... I'm awake now... I didn't realize I'd been sleeping for so long! Its practically lunch time!"

Tohru had appeared in the hallway to see Yuki trying very hard to pry the energetic Momiji from the top of the stair case where he'd posted himself so as to best be heard. They froze in their struggles and looked up, panic on Yuki's face and pleasure on Momiji's.

"Toooohhhrrruuuu!!!!!" he escaped Yuki and was flying to Tohru with outstretched arms when they heard a scream from below them. It sounded like a woman's scream...

"Oh! What's happening?" Tohru, still in her pajamas ran past the boys and down the stairs to investigate.

By the time the boys had regained their wits and went to see what had happened, they found Tohru leaning on a wall of the kitchen for support, as she was laughing too hard to stand up straight. Confused, they looked at her and then to the kitchen, where Tohru was weakly pointing since she was shaking with laughter.

Standing on a chair in the middle of the room, still screaming bloody murder, was Shigure.

The boys were laughing too hard to hear what Shigure was trying to tell them.

"B-biggest damn bug I've ever seen! AGH! It moved! Why won't you kill it? I can't, I'm barefoot! Look at it! It could eat Momiji-kun for goodness sake! I swear! Listen to me! EEK! STOP LAUGHING AT ME!!!"

And by that time, the entire household was there to witness Shigure's pathetic scene. Hatori had to threaten to sedate him with a very large and threatening looking needle before he would calm down. Yuki noted with much satisfaction that even the serious doctor had been trying not to laugh at the sight of the novelist shrieking like a little girl every time the small beetle on the floor scooted another inch in any given direction.

Finally, Tohru took a newspaper and herded the bug onto it so she could safely deposit it outside and therefore could go about making breakfast in peace.

* * *

She was just beginning the dishes when her hip started vibrating. 

..._why am I shaking?..._

"OH! Mother's pager!!" she said out loud, surprising poor Haru and Momiji who were playing a rather sedate card game when her exclamation caught them off guard.

"What it is, Tohru? Hmm? What? You're being paged?!"

"Wow. I feel so special!" she smiled warmly as she looked down at the faded pager and thought back to when she was a little girl. She'd be talking with her mom, she'd get paged and have to go... she was always sorry to leave Tohru alone, but Tohru knew it meant that her mother was needed else where and didn't want to be a bother so she smiled quietly and asked her to come home safely and soon.

Secretly, Tohru had always wanted a pager, like her mom, so that people could call her when they needed her help. When her mom handed her the pager, it felt like the Olympic torch had been passed to her...

_As silly as it may be to others... I've always liked it..._

Then she realized she'd been zoning out in her happy thoughts and the pager was still going off unanswered.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Mom!" Tohru held the pager to her ear and spoke frantically.

"She can't hear you, Tohru-kun. You have to call the number that it shows..." Haru calmly tried to say it without embarrassing her too much.

"Right. I knew that. Heh. Thanks, Haru-san." And she walked over to the phone in the hallway to dial the number flashing on the angry pager. This was all kind of new to her. After all, she'd never had a pager before...

The phone was ringing and she chewed her lip while wondering if she'd somehow made a mistake when dialing...

_I'm surprised they even have telephones in the afterlife. Its so funny, its almost exactly like when we all were alive... we still sleep, eat, laugh, cry... I wonder... if everything is still the same...what's the point?_

Her musings were interrupted by a pre-recorded voice speaking with harp strings playing softly in the background.

"Thank you for calling us. Your representative is on their way to see you, personally, right now. Have a great day!"

It was quiet for a second and Tohru was wondering whether she should hang up or not when the voice began to repeat itself once more, from the top, effectively scarring the wits out of the poor girl.

"Thank you for calling us. Your rep..." CLICK.

"Okay... why did I have to call if she was already coming?"

"So I wouldn't scare you."

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Shh! Tohru-chan! Its me! Mom! Calm down, already. I didn't think I'd scare you that badly..."

Her mother had entered sometime during the phone call and had watched silently from the doorway as her daughter fretted over whether to hang up or not. She couldn't help but think she was doomed to do just that: stand back and watch her daughter; never being able to be with her like in the old days...

"Mom! Its so good to see you!" Tohru couldn't resist the urge and hugged her mother, not even noticing that she was starting to cry.

* * *

A/N: This chapter seemed a bit short, but it was either going to be short or too long. sorry. . but you're just going to have to live with it. . you know the drill! review! weee!!! 

p.s. Told you I'd have it posted, cuz! .


	9. Dog Pile!

Disclaimer: you know the drill. I wonder how many people actually read this? If you don't you smell like sauerkraut! Ha! Take that! And you'll never know... heheh...

A/N: Well, here we are. Another fascinating and confusing chapter! Yay! I promise I'll start answering questions soon! I just really like dragging things out, I guess... I originally planned for them to be in the afterlife for a total of two to three chapters... heh heh... sorry. Too bad! I like how things are going and I have a feeling you are going to hate me for it! . can't wait to write more!

* * *

Tohru had died when she was 48 years old. It was beyond a tragedy to all who knew her even in the slightest.

The next to leave the group was Shigure, two years later.

Shigure Sohma, dead at age 61.

After Tohru married, Shigure's house once again became a thriving bachelor's pad. After Yuki got married, though, things were lonely for one used to having company for so long now.

So one day when he was torturing Mit-chan, his editor, he made a choice.

_I once said, "Catch me if you can..."_

"Zen...Zenzeii? ...sniffle... what is this?"

_You caught me... my Mit-chan..._

He was making her play scavenger hunt for his latest manuscript, but had purposely made it too easy to find. 

"What is this? It was lying out on the table... I don't believe it... you wouldn't!" she gasped and began to wail once more. "You're terrible! I ALWAYS go through Hell just to get this from you and now you leave it out in the open?!"

"Are you so sure that's what you think it is?" he stifled a giggle into his sleeve and minced out of the room to wait for her reaction. And to gather his thoughts. He was proposing to her, after all.

_She'll never believe it... what if she really doesn't want to? ... then I'll tell her it was a joke. Simple as that. I haven't heard anything yet... surely she read the note? What if she left?_

The door to his study slowly slid open to reveal a no longer crying Mit-chan. Her face was too hard for Shigure to read. For once, his normally transparent editor had the upper hand: she knew what she was going to say and Shigure didn't.

"Mit-chan...? So... you read the note...?" he tried to force a nervous smile, like maybe it WAS just a joke. He wanted her to react so he might gauge how she felt. If she didn't want him, he'd pretend it was a practical joke. Plain as that. But if he didn't know how she felt...

"Sensei...? Did... Were you... _serious_...?"

_She doesn't want me._

"Uh... no! nope! Ha ha... got you! Heh... here's the real manuscript! Heh good one, right?"

He was trying to make himself laugh in hopes she'd buy it and leave him alone.

_Damn it, Shigure... why did you do it?_

This whole time Mit-chan had her head bowed, as if thinking or maybe trying not to laugh, it was difficult to tell. After his last statement, she slowly raised her head to reveal a sight Shigure never knew he'd never seen.

She was crying. Not the overdramatic wailing he was so accustomed to and fond of, but... real tears. The kind of tears one cries when your heart has been broken.

"...good-bye, Sen... Shigure."

And she turned and walked out of the room.

_What... what does this mean?! So... she does...? What a fool I am! Damn! Please, wait for me... I'm sorry... I meant to tell you so many times..._

He was letting her go. She was leaving him. No. No, he wouldn't let her!

"...wait. Mit-chan! Wait! I meant it! I meant it! I mean it! I... I love you! Mit-chan!!"

He had to run to try and catch her, but the front door was wide open and there was no Mit-chan in sight.

He had lost her.

_Damn, damn, damn..._

He went to his knees, gasping for breath and staring out to the empty forest ahead of his doorway.

"I'm so sorry, my Mit-chan... I guess I was never caught before you... because they were chasing me... I never knew... that I was the one who was chasing you... Damn it all!"

He was trying very hard not to weep right then.

"Really?" A voice quietly came from behind the door.

His head shot up from where it had been resting on his knees.

"Mi...Mit-chan?"

"Do you mean it? Do you? Please. Just answer me honestly for once. Do you ...love me?"

The moment of truth had finally come. She hadn't left yet. There was still time! He hadn't lost her yet!

"Yes."

He would've said more if it weren't for the fact that she was already kissing him.

They just held each other. At that moment, all Shigure could think was what would have happened if it wasn't for the pills Hatori had each member of the zodiac take daily to suppress the curses's effects.

_Thank you, Tori-san! God knows what we would've done if you hadn't discovered that medicine... how can I ever thank him?_

They were to be married in a few weeks when Mit-chan was in a car accident.

It was a drunk driver. She was killed instantly and felt no pain.

They held the funeral at Shigure's insistence on the day they were to be married.

Shigure never spoke of her after the funeral.

He also never wrote another novel. Instead, he decided to become involved with the youth of Japan. He wanted to do something positive to help. And so, at age 33, he chose to teach.

He taught literature at Tokyo University for almost ten years before he quit. He still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to make a _difference_.

So he decided that he wanted to encourage recreational sports.

_Youth should have fun! And exercise, and learn teamwork... what the heck, why not?_

That was when he began to coach girl's swimming. He went from school to school until he found where he felt he was truly needed the most. By the time he'd settled in and gotten the hang of coaching, he was 53 years old.

He led his team to win the national tournament for eight consecutive years until his death in a mudslide on his property at the age of 61.

His house was destroyed with him still inside.

* * *

As she was walking to meet her daughter again, Kyoko mentally went through what she was and wasn't allowed to tell her sweet child.

_Okay. No mentioning how or why I died or her father. Can't tell her where Kyo and Haru are. Only to tell her she has to..._

_But why that? What good would that accomplish? ...sigh... its not my place to think. I'm just the messengers..._

_Tell her truth about The Book. Make sure she understands its importance._

_What about Futsu? The boys are still alive... but why won't _He_ let her even think about them, I wonder? Hmm... maybe he thinks she might be distracted and not want to finish her task..._

_Can't tell her about her grandchildren or them being the next to be cursed..._

_Hmm... I think that just about covers it..._

_Here already? My, how time flies when you're dead and just an errand girl for the Supreme Being..._

She walked into the house forgetting how quiet she was being.

When she finally spotted Tohru, she was in obvious distress over trying to decide whether it was safe to hang up on the recorded voice from the main office.

Finally, she went ahead and hung up. She spoke to herself and Kyoko knew it, but she answered anyway.

"Okay... why did I have to call if she was already coming?"

"So I wouldn't scare you."

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

"Shh! Tohru-chan! Its me! Mom! Calm down, already. I didn't think I'd scare you that badly..."

"Mom! Its so good to see you!" Her daughter ran into her open arms, already crying.

_Its nice to know some things will never change. Even if she doesn't see what my soul really looks like..._

_Ah! I can't tell her about him either...if she has no idea what I did, then she doesn't need to know how it affected Kazuma... or even that Kazuma really was..._

"So! What's up? Not that you have to have a reason to visit, I mean! Assuming, that is, that you just came to visit... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to jump to conclusio—"

"Its fine, sweetheart. I came to talk to you about some things you need to understand..."

"Okay. Are you hungry? I made too much at breakfast, since I forgot Ayame-san doesn't like to eat breakfast..."

"I'm fine, dear."

"You're sure?"

"Yep."

"Because I could have something ready in a jiffy!"

"Tohru-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Let's go for another walk..."

"Oh! Okay!"

Smiling at each other, they held hands and walked leisurely into the woods around Shigure's house.

* * *

_This is not good! How is this even possible!? Wait... he wouldn't ... would he?_

"Shigure! Get out here! Where is it?! What did you do with it?"

"Yuki-kun? Whatever is the matter, dearest cousin of mine?"

"You know damn well what's the matter!"

One could almost see the steam rising from Yuki's head.

"Where is it?"

"I gave it to her." He replied so quickly, Yuki didn't realize he'd been given a straight answer.

"Just tell me whe— wait, you gave it to_ her_?!"

The master novelist smiled and nodded his head simply.

"I'll kill you!"

And it certainly seemed he would've succeeded had it not been for the timely entrance of his elder brother, Ayame.

"Ack! Gure-san! Never fear! I shall rescue thee!!"

after a few moments more of struggle, Momiji happened to pass by and see the three tangled in their brawl.

"Oooh! I wanna play, too!" he smiled wickedly and after a running start, leapt onto the others screaming, "Dog Pile!!"

"Hey, oomph! I –ouch— resent that!"

"Sorry, Shigure-san!" Momiji called happily from on top of the heap. "What were you guys doing, anyway?"

"Its because he gave it to her!"

"Hmm? Yuki-kun? I didn't even see you there... ? wait. Gave who what?"

"Tohru... he gave her... the picture..."

"What picture?!" Shigure was more than a little surprised. He was wondering why his normally docile cousin was ready to kill over Shigure giving The Book to Tohru. It was his task, after all. They all knew it.

"Don't play dumb with me! That old picture of me in the dress! The one Hatori-san took when I was in high school!"

"...? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. ... I thought you burned that picture years ago?"

"...only the negatives. Tohru-san didn't want me to destroy it. She thought it was cute. I was going to give it to her today, but when I went to my drawer it wasn't there! I know it was you, Shigure! Don't deny it! I heard you 'shhs-ing' someone outside my room last night while I was in the bathroom! You took it! Give it back!"

And the struggle began anew. Momiji, though, was wise enough to jump off his perch before getting caught in the fight.

He pulled an old photograph of Yuki and Kyo lined up in front of a chain link fence with a sweet blush in the sky signifying dusk. They both had cheesy smiles on their faces—obviously posed. Or so you would think. Kyo was in his uniform while Yuki was wearing a pretty cream and peach dress with so many ruffles and so much lace, it was hard to tell that he wasn't a girl.

He smiled at the memory. The photo was from the first day he and Hatori had met Tohru Honda. Hatori had tricked they boys into saying something in unison so it looked like they were smiling when he took it. They had no idea he had a camera until after he took the photo.

He missed those days.

"Oh! Yuki! I meant to tell you, I was going through your stuff yesterday and I decided to keep this picture I found. Thanks!"

And with that he skipped off merrily humming to himself.

Yuki couldn't get up fast enough to catch him since he was on the bottom and Shigure and Ayame were laughing too hard to get off of him.

* * *

A/N: "the rock-etts?" Its mostly girls isn't it? Lol!

Anyway... hope you liked! The next chapter will be answering some questions, I promise! Oh! And if you want to discuss anything that's confusing you, it gets hard for me to remember what I have or haven't explained or planned to explain. So... write me! I've set up a special email account for this purpose, so don't feel shy!

Toodles!


	10. Her Task

Disclaimer: I enjoy this way too much. I would enjoy it more only if I was paid. But poopy United States government says that's illegal. Go fig. Party poopers.

A/N: Fast, huh? I was feeling kind of inspired by sis's valiant efforts and decided to write another chapter. Usually I can't think of anything so soon, but I've been coming up with some really, really evil ideas for later... heh heh heh... ahem... anyway... for all you people out there who feel it is necessary to tell me you are confused, I would like to introduce you to a revolutionary concept: INTRIGUE!!! ...pant pant... no offense, but you aren't supposed to know everything that's happening. If you did, it would be boring. I don't mean to sound angry, but its been bugging me for a while now...

So... with that out of the way...

* * *

It was a nice day. As they walked hand in hand, Tohru couldn't seem to keep her thoughts coherent: she had a million questions, it seemed. And somehow, it felt like if she didn't get answers now, it was never going to happen. 

"So... why _did_ you come to see me?"

Her mother smiled softly down at her. Her short light auburn hair falling over her eyes, Kyoko carelessly swiped the renegade strands back behind her ear. Tohru looked at her mother's face.

_No matter how old I get, I never get tired of looking at her smile. Its like... like waking up during a summer rainstorm, and knowing you're perfectly safe... snuggling back into your blankets... but I can't see... I wonder if I take after her... physically I don't think I do... so..._

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Do I take after you, or my dad?"

Kyoko was not expecting to hear that. "Uh... well, I think you have a little of both in you..."

"Both? But I don't think I really look like you. So do I look like my dad? There weren't really any pictures of him when I was little, now that I think about it... hmm... come to think of it, what did my dad look like? You never wanted to talk about him. It always made you so sad. Hey! And where is he? I'd like to meet him very much. Well, I mean I've already met him, of course, but I don't really remember it, so I thought that I should meet him now that I will remember him. Wait. That doesn't make much sense, does it?"

Kyoko had remained silent thus far mainly from surprise. She really wasn't expecting to have to talk about her husband with her daughter... at least not so soon!

"...Mom? Are you ...okay?"

"What? Oh! Yes. I'm fine, dear. Sorry, I just haven't thought about your father for a long, long time now. Its kind of a touchy subject, sweetie. But if you had some other questions...?"

Kyoko found she was holding her breath, almost praying that would suffice so she didn't have to make up more excuses.

_I'm sorry, Tohru-chan... one day we'll all be together again... but not yet... you and I still have so much to do... and... Dear... wait for me... just a while longer..._

Tohru's brow furrowed in intense concentration as she tried to think of her next question.

"Alright! Got one!"

"Fire away."

"Why are we here? I mean, why are the people who are here –why are they in this specific place? Do you know what I mean?"

"Why are you and the others staying in Shigure-sensei's old house, you mean?"

"Yes!"

"That's an easy one! Like I may have told you before, you led an exemplary life. (Good job, by the way... I am very proud of you.)"

Tohru blushed modestly and her mother continued.

"And because of your good deeds, the S.O. has chosen to let put you with those you were most happy with, in the setting dearest to your heart. Make sense?"

"I think so... but... not everyone is there... like Hatsuharu-kun! Oh! I had the strangest dream! I think it was a dream, anyway. But I saw things that had happened to him –Haru-kun, I mean— and I shouldn't have been able to see them but I did! At least I think I did.. I'm so confused, Mom! What's going on? Why isn't Haru here and why did I see his past and what was up with that creepy room Shigure-san took me to?! That was NOT there before, I'm certain of that much. Oh yeah. And they gave me this old book but I don't even remember what I did with it... hmm... what did I do with it?"

"Wait. He gave you The Book already?"

"Huh? Shigure-san? Yeah. He gave it to me last night..."

"Oh! Of all the nerve! He is _so_ going to be reported for this..."

"What do you mean? Did he do something wrong? Is he in trouble because of me?"

"No. Its not your fault, sweetheart. He wasn't supposed to give you The Book until after I had visited and given you _more_ _information_. And because he gave it to you before you were ready for it, that's why you can't find it now and that explains the "dream" you had. Because you weren't ready to read it, but you had already made the link with it, it threw the first chapter written in it at you in the only way you could handle it. That wasn't a dream. It was Hatsuharu-san's past."

"... his past? What do you mean?"

"Sigh... I mean exactly what I said. That is what The Book is—"

"Oh. Okay. That makes some sense, I suppose. But that doesn't tell me why he isn't here!"

"Whoa! Wait a second. I don't think you really understand what The Book is or how important it is, for that matter."

"Why is it so important?"

"It is a record, I suppose is one way of putting it... Tohru-chan, when one of the zodiac dies and comes to the afterlife, they have to face ... judgment..." As she said this last part, Kyoko began to lean over her daughter so that shadows fell across her face. She pulled her cheeks taut so they seemed sunken and ghost-like. The only thing lacking in her delivery would have been a crash of lightning in the background.

"GASP! That sounds so... scary..."

"It can be. When they first arrived, they were not allowed to join you. They weren't on your level, spiritually, if that makes sense."

"Not really..."

Tohru had interrupted her mother without even realizing that the question she was answering had been rhetorical.

"...Their souls... they were still weighed down with regrets and sins from their lives. You on the other hand, had no real regrets. You had things you wished you could have fixed or done differently, but your soul did not wish to have a second chance. You were content. They were not. So, to maintain the balance, members wishing to enter where you were had to stay in that room –the strange one you spoke of, I would assume—and write their regrets, sins and such down in The Book. Everyone has their own chapter consisting of their life first and then a written confession."

"But... why should I have it?"

"That is part of your task. I can't tell you everything, since I don't know everything. I know that your success or failure directly effects a large amount of people you care very deeply for."

"...really? So... they... they're counting on me to do this task?"

"Yes, dear. Until you've finished... you can't be together with those you love most. Its more a test of your character than anything. This is S.O's way of making sure you really deserve eternal happiness."

"...is that why ...Futsu-chan isn't here? I know the boys are still alive. But I haven't seen my husband. Is that because I haven't finished my task?"

Kyoko was once again taken aback by her daughter.

_Interesting. I guess _He_'s ready to let her start knowing things..._

"Sort of. Its all very complicated. I don't know how much you're allowed to know... but I can tell you that Futsu-san isn't here because he hasn't finished _his_ task yet."

"What is his task?"

"That really isn't a polite question, Tohru-chan. That's like asking what someone wrote in The Book."

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean any disrespect! I do... miss him, though..."

"I understand exactly what you mean, hon."

Kyoko put her arm around her daughter, once more marveling that such a wonderful thing could have come from her body.

_I still... _still_ cannot believe she found her way to _that_ family again. I thought she'd be safe._

"Mom?"

"Sorry. What is it?"

"What is my task?"

"Ah. It comes at last. Know just remember, I don't know everything—only what I'm allowed to know and even then, I can't always tell you everything I do know. Understand?"

"Uh... Yes, I think so..."

Smiling, Kyoko patted her child fondly on her head. "Good. Well, then no more beating around the bush. Tohru-chan. It has been decided that you shall—"

Suddenly, it hit Tohru like a ton of bricks...

"Wait! You never told me where Haru-kun was!"

Restraining her frustration, Kyoko took a cleansing breath, exhaled and answered the question.

"I can't tell you any more about him than I already have. Its not for you to know. At least not now."

Fully expecting to have to further excuse her lack of a response, Kyoko was more than a little relieved to see Tohru nod her head in understanding.

"Okay. Sorry I interrupted. Please continue."

"Oh... its... fine. ...ahem... like I was saying, dear, your task is simple. You are to make sure The Book is complete."

"Oh!... ... I don't get it."

"Its really easy, don't worry. Earlier I told you that each member of the zodiac had to write their chapter, right?"

"What? Did you forget already...?"

"How do you know about the Zodiac?"

_This definitely is not good. She should not be asking about this... how am I supposed to explain...? She's not ready to know... she'll find out soon enough, anyway..._

"Mom? How did you know?"

Kyoko was ready to begin hyperventilating when once more Tohru spoke.

"Oh! How could I not have seen it?"

_My God! She knows?! How? How did she figure it out so _quickly_? Did I let something slip...? No! I'm sure I never mentioned the Sohmas to her before..._

"I'm so stupid. How could I have not known! _I _told you! Silly, me! I forgot that I kept you up-to-date on all my new friends..."

Kyoko didn't hear what she said after that. The chorus of "hallelujahs" in her head were way too loud. Her secret was still safe. For now, at least.

"...Mom? Did you hear me?"

"Oh! Sorry, baby... what did you say?"

"I asked if you remembered the day I brought Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun to meet you..."

"Yes. I was very happy, sweetie. And what a feast! It was good to see you so happy and not moping around, feeling sorry for yourself! I knew I'd raised you better than that!" She ruffled Tohru's hair, making her daughter giggle. Kyoko had truly missed her daughter more than words could say. And even now, she knew she didn't have much time left to chit-chat: she had a mission.

"Tohru... I'm going to have to leave soon."

"Already?! You just got here..."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But I have my own work to attend to. Before I go, though, are you clear on what your task is?"

"I have to make sure The Book is finished."

"Good girl!"

"So... does that mean I have to just read it, or something like that?"

"Um... no. Well, yes and no. You _do_ have to read it. But that's because ... actually I'm not sure why... its just part of the deal, I guess... but your main task isto make sure that all of your zodiac friends have written in it and finished their chapters. And just because they aren't in the house doesn't mean they have or haven't written in it. You mentioned that not everyone is there. Well, part of your job is to make sure that even if they aren't in the house with you, they have finished their chapter."

"Why is that so important?"

"... I suppose it is kind of like leaving a wound untreated. If they have yet to cleanse themselves, their sins will slowly eat away at them until they eventually will ... rot completely away... until there is nothing left of their soul. Do you understand?"

"If I don't succeed, then they will disappear?"

"Correct. They will no longer exist. In any way, shape or form."

Kyoko was silent for a moment, watching her daughter to check that she was really understanding the gravity of her task.

"One more thing. And I know this isn't really very fair to you, but..."

"What is it?"

"There are _thirteen_ who are possessed."

"Right. The twelve and Kyo."

"But... there is not enough room in The Book to fit thirteen chapters."

"...What do you mean?! If there isn't enough room..."

"Then not everyone will be saved..."

This was the part Kyoko was really dreading. She was going to have to tell her child the unfortunate role fate had handed her.

"Right. As things are now, you can only save twelve. Ironic, isn't it? Once a person has started a chapter, they must finish it. I know it is not finished, but just barely so. You can check for yourself, but if I'm right... the only one who _hasn't_ started a chapter... is Kyo."

* * *

The boys had managed to untangle themselves and clean up the mess they had made, lest they make more work for Tohru. 

Yuki had managed to calm down quite a bit once he had the picture safely from Momiji and hidden close to his heart where it would be safe until he could give it to Tohru. It was his picture, so he was going to be the one to give it to her.

_Besides, if it had been Shigure, heaven only knows what he might have told her..._

But something had been bothering Yuki.

"Shigure-san?"

"Yes, my dearest Yuki-kun?"

"What _did_ you give her? ...If it wasn't my picture? I know I heard you last night... So what where you doing?"

"Oh, that. I gave Tohru-kun The Book."

"Oh. Okay."

One... two... three...

"YOU WHAT?!!!"

"Please, Yuki-kun, let's not shout..."

"HOW COULD YOU?! THAT BOOK WILL RUIN _EVERYTHING_!!!"

"I know."

Yuki felt like someone had punched him the gut. He had to acutally support himself on the wall as he interrogated his older cousin.

"Then... then why did you give it to her? _Why_ did you do it?"

"Why does it bother you so much? Yuki-kun, you aren't the only one who came here with a few skeletons in his closet!"

"Idiot... Don't you realize what her task is?"

"...She'll have to leave us... we might loose her forever because _you_ gave her that damn book!"

* * *

A/N: hee hee! I feel so evil! I love it! Hahahaha!!! Now, my faithful readers! Review! Review! REEEVVIIEEEWWWWW!!!!! (evil laughter is heard) 

Seriously, though. Spread the word, yo.

oh... and please don't kill me for leaving you with two cliffies... (heh... though you've got to admit, you don't see that often! .)


	11. Putting Pieces Together

Disclaimer: yada yada yada... don't sue, I don't have a job.

A/N: Here's another chapter for ya. I don't like how this one turned out, but it's got a lot of things that need to be said and such. You know, plot stuff. (BORING) anyway... I haven't done enough responses to you guys and I apologize. (Imagine the lady from the hotsprings crawling around under the doormat apologizing profusely... I don't have that much energy, but it gets the point across... oh, and I'm just too lazy to look up her name, so no offense to any of her fans...)

Grrl N: did I answer your question from before? I hope I did... .;;

Sis: thanks for the plug!

Sofia815: restrains gag reflex sorry. I despise Akito. I may end up putting him in, but it will likely be a cameo only. The people there are there because Tohru likes them. She wasn't exactly buddy-buddy with the psycho who mentally abused Yuki for most of his life... no offense to any fans of his. It is a personal choice of mine to dislike him and you should probably be glad that he isn't in this fic as if he was it would not make you happy. (evil grin)

Ahem

Hyperkitty16: uh... your comment about the cliffies kind of freaked me out... I like to use them, as I suppose I am slightly sadistic. I believe they are handy-dandy and only a problem if you don't pay attention and redress what you haven't finished. If I am guilty of such, by all means, let me know! But sometimes it makes a story more fun and involving if you have to wait to find out the answers. Right?

Pillarchick: yay! I hope this chappie isn't confusing as it isn't meant to be. If you are confused this time, it is not my fault (hopefully) and so just email me and I'll answer any questions if I can... . luv ya cuz!

Enough dawdling! Onward plot monkeys! ATTACK!!!!

* * *

"You can check for yourself, but if I'm right... the only one who _hasn't_ started a chapter... is Kyo."

"Kyo-kun! Where is he? I knew there was something I was forgetting... and that's another thing! I keep forgetting things. Or at least I think I am... its hard to tell. But every time I start to think about something I don't understand, the next thing I know, I'm not thinking any more and suddenly some strange thing is happening... its almost like... like some one or something doesn't want me to understand everything..."

"Of course He doesn't want you to know everything. That's His job. Not yours. And by not letting you worry about certain things, He's protecting you."

"How?"

"I don't know. I wish I could tell you more, Tohru-kun, I really do. But I have to go now."

"Wait! What should I do?"

"Read The Book. If you have any questions, page me." Kyoko called over her shoulder as she began to walk into the distance. And as an afterthought, added, "But not too much, if you can help it... I have a lot of work to do! So wait for a real emergency before you page me, okay? Bye!"

And she was once again gone. Feeling rather cold all of the sudden, Tohru decided to go back into the house and try to find where she'd left that book.

_Hmm... Kyo-kun... Hatsuharu-kun... where are you?_

* * *

"Of course she'll leave. If she stayed here, you know perfectly well what would happen." In his agitation, Shigure spoke in a tone he rarely used.

Shigure knew that Yuki had always been afraid that Tohru would never wake up and that they were in a kind of purgatory where they would be forced to wait forever. Now that she would be going to complete her task and he still didn't even know what his was, he was terrified that he might loose her permanently.

"Whatever." Yuki turned to leave. He wanted to see where Tohru had gone off to. Maybe if he could talk to her he could find some way...

_Some way to_ what_?! I don't even know what it is I want to do... I know I want_ her

"Yuki-kun! Come play cards with me and Kagura!" Yuki looked down to see his blonde cousin tugging on his sleeve.

"Not now, Momiji... I think I'm going to take a short walk..."

"You just want to find Tohru!"

_Duh._

"We'll play after lunch, alright?"

"Okay!"

As he watched the rabbit hop off, obviously happy with Yuki's blatant brush off, Yuki put on his shoes and reached to open the front door only to have it opened by a surprised Tohru.

"Tohru-kun! You're back from your walk so soon... I was just going to come join you..."

"Oh! Sorry... Mom just left and I thought I would see what there was to do before I made lunch..." She stopped when Yuki lifted a slender hand.

"Walk with me?" Yuki flashed her a smile and bowed deeply at the waist. "What do you say, my princess?"

Laughing, Tohru returned the bow with a dainty curtsy and a tip of her head. "I would love to!"

Linking arms, the two went back into the forest, idly walking until they found themselves at Yuki's old "Secret Base".

Even the base is exactly as I remember it... 

"...Tohru-kun... remember the time we stayed at the base all night protecting it from that storm?"

Her smile told him she did. "Oh, yes! You were walking me home from work! I was so happy you showed me your secret. I always loved learning new things about all of you."

_She's even more beautiful than I remember her. Why did I let her get away? Why didn't I tell her how much she meant to me? _

Tohru continued rambling pleasantly about the past as Yuki watched her grow more and more animated and exited with each memory.

..._I was afraid... _

"Oh! Remember the time when we first me Futsu? My graduation party? I thought you and Kyo were going to kill him!"

_Futsu... yes, I remember. How could I forget the one person who ruined my life by completing yours?_

He forced a smile, hoping she wouldn't notice it. He hated thinking about Futsu. It wasn't that he was a bad guy—if anything, he and Yuki had gotten along really well.

_Under other circumstances, we could have been friends..._

Yuki wished he could bring himself to hate Futsu, but every time he began listing the reasons why he should, one thing prevented him:

_We're too much alike..._

Yuki knew that Futsu might have thought the same of him, but if that was the case, he never showed it. And that was why he deserved her.

_No. He deserved her because he was man enough to tell her he loved her. He took the big risk and got the big payoff..._

"...right, Yuki-kun?" She tilted her head and smiled at him, waiting for him to agree. He had been only half listening to her speech.

"Oh... yeah. Right."

_If it had been me... what if it had been me that told her... would she have picked me?_

"I mean, what good will it do if I have to read the entire thing? I mean, of course I'm curious about how everyone got along after I... you know... but why is it so important? And Mom said something really weird! She said there wasn't enough room for everyone in the Book. Isn't that weird? Especially because it seemed like that was why it was created, so why wasn't it made big enough to fit everyone?"

Yuki had been jerked out of his solemn thoughts by Tohru's words. Then it hit him that she was talking about her task and The Book As much as he hated to, he asked her to repeat what she'd said about The Book. He claimed he'd "zoned out" for a bit...

This time he made sure to pay attention—he wanted to know as much as he could in case he could do something to prevent her from leaving them.

While she explained a second time the situation with the lack of room for everyone, it hit Yuki like a ton of bricks.

"The cat."

"What? Did you say something, Yuki-kun?"

"It wasn't made with enough room for the cat."

"But... that means it was made so that not everyone would be saved!" His thoughts were racing, it was all coming together so perfectly... he grabbed her by the arms and looked her in the eye.

"When have we ever included the cat? Think about it , Tohru-kun! It makes perfect sense!" Things were starting to come together. Things he hadn't thought about in a long time. Things like... how is the curse broken?

"What do you mean?"

"Tohru-kun. How is the curse broken?"

"What?! I... I don't know, Yuki-kun. Why would I? What does that have to do with anyth—"

"Everything. This is just a theory, but I think that if you finish your task and get all 13 of us in the book... it might break the curse."

"But..."

"That is, if there hasn't been a new group of Zodiac born. If even one spirit has been reborn, then we're up the creek with out a paddle..."

"How do we know if there's been one reborn?"

"Well..." That was a good question. "I _think_... I think that if it was the spirit of someone here at the house, they wouldn't be here... does that make sense?"

"..."

"If there was a new dog, Shigure-san wouldn't be here with us."

"OH! Right! I get it now! So there haven't been any new Zodiac yet! We're safe!"

"Not really. We don't know about the others that aren't here."

"... so..."

"So, Tohru-kun... I think we need to find out where the others are."

"How? And how do we even know they're here? What if they are still alive?"

"Then we don't need to worry about them. But I think they all are dead by now. Hiro and Kisa were the youngest but they weren't that much younger than us. They'd be in their 90's if they were still alive. Besides, you're awake, so I think that means we all are dead."

Tohru had gotten quiet.

"Is something the matter?"

"...Yuki-kun... where is Kyo?"

"..."

"...Do you know?"

"...no."

"I see. What about Hatsuharu-kun? I saw that he got lost in Sapporo, but that was the last I'd seen."

"? Seen? What do you mean?"

"Oh. The Book. Its weird. I don't really even understand it, myself, but I saw what happened to Haru-kun after I died. Up to a point at least..."

_So that would mean that his chapter isn't complete! Wait... how can that be? I thought that hey had to write in The Book so they could come into the house. If that's the case, then why isn't he here? Oh, my head hurts... agh! Alright... focus, Tohru! You can ask him when you find him! Target number one: Hatsuharu Sohma! _

"I have to find him!" Tohru jumped up as she said this with such fervor, it might put Kagura to shame.

"Tohru-kun...?"

Yuki was more than a bit confused.

"Yuki-kun. We need to find Haru! I have to find out what happened to him! His chapter is incomplete!"

"What do you mean, my chapter is incomplete?"

They had been so pre-occupied figuring out what was going on that they didn't even notice the shadowy figure approaching them from the woods.

They noticed him now. As soon as they heard the third voice, Yuki threw Tohru protectively behind him.

"Who's there?!"

"Easy, there, Yuki. Don't you remember your favorite cousin?"

Tohru felt Yuki's shoulders tense as she hid behind them. That voice was familiar. She risked a peek from behind her rat in shinning armor only to see Haru standing in front of them.

_Now that's convenient! _

"Haru-kun! Where have you been?"

There was a pause before he answered simply, "I got lost."

* * *

A/N: this chapter seemed both too short and too long. Sorry if it wasn't much fun. Hope things are a bit clearer and you still are interested. Things are going to start really happening now, but there will still be bunches of stuff about people's pasts. Stay tuned! .


	12. Oops

Disclaimer: whatever. If I was trying to take credit for these guys' why would I post it on a fanfiction site? Uh-huh. That's what I thought,

A/N: it feels like forever since I've posted. This chapter just did not want to be written! Grr... stupid writer's block and inferiority complex... (been reading sis's stuff too much) anyway... more questions being answered this time! But don't think you're getting off that easily! Hee hee... I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Shout outs:

**Pillarchick**- . you know I love ya, cuz!

**Poplollyblues**- you know, this fic was originally going to be a comedy? I was planning to do a thing where they all got reincarnated in various ironic forms and had to find each other b/4 something bad happened... or something... it was too broad and somehow evolved into what you're reading today... crazy, ne?

**ChibiAinasan**- thank you! .

**Bijoux no Miko**- I don't know why I even bother leaving you a note... by the time you read this... sigh... just read more! Grr... who knows when you'll see this...? For form's sake as well as curiousity, today is 10/08/04... you'd better review for this chapter so I can see how long it took you to read it!

Ahem... sorry 'bout that... anyway, here we go! .

* * *

"I got lost." 

There was a pause so large you could have driven a diesel truck through it.

Tohru and Yuki had made a major break-through when Hatsuharu came wandering in from the forest.

"...you... got _lost_?!" Yuki was practically inarticulate with frustration. He simply shrugged in response. Haru didn't seem to be concerned that his normally docile cousin was losing his patience with him.

"You've been gone for all this time... with no warning... and now you waltz back and think you can just shrug this off?"

"...Yeah. Sorry I'm so late. Hey, its good to see you again, Tohru! How's death treating ya?" He'd walked right past Yuki to give Tohru a hug.

"Oh, I'm alright. Thank you for asking, Haru-kun. And how are you? Are you hungry? You must have been gone for awhile..."

Tohru had linked arms with the ox and was leading him into the house, all the while discussing the past and what was to be done about a certain someone's empty tummy.

This left only Yuki standing outside, frozen in his anger and still waiting for a reply from Haru.

Get a hold of yourself, Yuki. This isn't like you... I haven't acted like this since Kyo was around last. ... but what did happen to Haru? He'd come and gone by the time I got here...

Inside there were shouts and hugs and well wishes as the clan welcomed back Haru.

By the time Yuki was in the living room, Tohru was serving some tea and biscuits to everyone.

"Sooo... Haru-kun. Tell us where you've been!" Kagura never minded getting straight to the point.

"Before I died, or after?"

"Yes."

Haru took a deep breath and was promptly interrupted by Tohru.

"He went to Sapporo after the umm... incident... and became the leader of a troop of boy scouts before he got lost in the woods on one of their trips."

There was a moment of silence as everyone, Haru included, stared at Tohru who was now humming softly to herself while dusting the bookshelf.

As if on cue, all heads then turned to Haru for confirmation.

"...pretty much..."

"But there was one thing I was wondering about, Haru-kun..." All heads again turned to Tohru.

"Hmm?"

"What were you doing when you got lost?" Back to Haru.

"... well... the thing is..."

"GASP! Haru-kun! You weren't doing anything... _inappropriate_ were you?" Leave it to Shigure to ask such a ridiculous question. Yuki calmly walked over to his cousin and smacked him upside the head. Haru, however, seemed unaffected.

"No. I was looking for more firewood."

"Oh."

"Then what?! Then what, Haru?!" Momiji had worked his way to Haru and placed his hands on Haru's knee to steady himself as he bounced in his eagerness.

"I died."

"R-right... I think he meant _after_ you died... we were starting to wonder..." Tohru commented as she picked up the stack of magazines Momiji had just knocked over.

"Didn't Shigure tell you?"

All eyes were now on a very uncomfortable looking Shigure.

"Well, I guess it plum slipped my mind... heh heh..."

"You knew where he was?! And you didn't tell us?! We didn't even know if he was dead or alive?! How could you forget to tell us something that important?!" Kagura had the novelist by the front of his robe.

"Sorry...?"

"I was the first one here." Haru, it seemed, didn't mind telling his story again.

"But I thought Gure-san was the first..." Momiji had been given a sucker by Tohru to pacify him and therefore was now sitting quietly beside Haru.

"Ah... no. I was here for a few years, probably, before Shigure-sensei popped up. When he came—"

"Wait. I thought Tohru-kun was the first one here... If you were waiting a few _years_ before Shigure came, then you must have arrived before even Tohru did." Yuki had been quiet for a long time before speaking his mind to the others. "And if that's the case, then maybe you know a bit about why she was the way she was when we came."

"You mean Shigure didn't tell you?"

The looks on his cousin's faces told him everything.

"What _did_ he tell you guys?"

They looked from one to another, as if trying to choose who would be best to speak. And as in life, Yuki was chosen to represent.

"Not a whole lot. He said that when he got here, Tohru was asleep already. He said he didn't know why, but we had to watch over her and wait for her to wake up. Then, he said, we could fulfill our tasks."

"...And?"

"And what? That was pretty much it. Whenever we would ask questions, he swore that's all he knew."

"So he didn't tell you where I was, why Tohru-san was here, why we were here, how long she would sleep or what you were supposed to do when she woke up?"

Again, the looks on their faces spoke for them.

The only noise in the room was that of Tohru mindlessly humming still and the soft sound of Shigure trying to inch his way out of the room before he was jumped.

"SHIGURE!!!"

Too late. Kagura was on him like white on rice before he even got a foot away. She was joined shortly by Ayame, who again claimed to save his dear cousin from harm. Then came Momiji, who had finished his sucker and was once again, bored. When he mentioned a certain photograph, Yuki joined in.

* * *

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

* * *

"...So... huff huff... are you gonna... wheeze ... tell us what Shigure-san didn't?" 

During their fight, Tohru continued cleaning and was freshening Haru's tea when things had died down again. Kagura was the first to regain enough breath to try and get back on track.

"Oh. Right. Let's see...what first?"

As it was Yuki who was the first to speak, his question came as no big surprise to the others.

"Let's get the whole business with Tohru-kun cleared up, first."

"Fair enough. What I was told was that Tohru-kun needed a place to wait for the rest of us."

"To wait for us?"

"I guess that's the best way of putting it... I was told that we were to make sure nothing would happen to her while she slept and waited for all of us to die. That was when she was supposed to wake up. The moment the last one of the zodiac passed away was the moment Tohru-san first woke."

"So... if that's the case, then everyone is dead."

"Yes, Yuki-kun. Everyone is dead."

"So where are they, Haru-kun?"

"Hatori-san, that was part of why I'm so late. I wanted to find everyone who wouldn't be staying with us."

"For instance?"

"Rin-san, Rit-chan, Kureno-san, Kisa-chan and Hiro-chan."

"And did you find them? Why aren't they here with us?"

"...It was decided that they would be... _happier_... elsewhere..."

Silence again returned as everyone realized how hard it must have been for Haru. He had been the first to die. He found out they wouldn't be together. And ... it was hard enough that Rin and the others wouldn't be with them, but to know that their cousins were happier ...

It was easy to see everyone getting depressed and that was the last thing Tohru wanted to see.

Time for a different subject... 

"Haru-kun? May I ask another question?" After he nodded, she continued. "Where were you?"

"Okay, Tohru-san. After I made sure Shi-san knew what he was doing," everyone glared again at the bruised dog, "I told him that I wanted to find out some things." He took a sip of his tea and was silent again. For a moment, they thought he might leave it at that and they were preparing for war when he continued.

"So I left. I wanted to know when everyone was coming. But when I got there, they told me not everyone would be coming."

"Haru-kun, where did you go, exactly?" Hatori had been so quiet during all the fighting that his more volatile cousins had almost forgotten he was there.

"Oh. Just over to headquarters."

"Headquarters?" Yuki didn't like the sound of that.

"You mean to tell me you didn't even know about HQ? You're supposed to go there if you have any questions or problems. If you are left too long not knowing things, you can end up as a restless spirit—a ghost."

"SHIGURE!!!"

"Me-mercy..."

* * *

TEN MINUTES LATER

* * *

"... huff... puff... wheeze... so... what did you find out?" 

"Ah. I had forgotten where I'd left off. Thank you, Kagura-san."

"Don't mention it." She muttered flatly. Haru missed her sarcasm and continued.

"Basically, everyone who is here now is everyone that will **ever** be here. The others will _never_ come and that's for the best."

They had not been expecting that. Tohru froze in her chores as her mother's word rung in her head.

_But... if they aren't all here... how can I finish my task?_

"WHAT?! What about ...?"

"Kagura-san... I know what you're thinking... and I'm sorry, but... He isn't allowed to be here. Kyo won't be coming."

The last words hung heavily in the air.

"Is it... because he's the ...cat?"

Haru nodded mutely.

"But... _why_?! Why should that matter?" Haru was not the only one surprised to hear these words not from Kagura, but from Tohru.

"Hasn't he suffered enough?" She was beginning to shake. Whether from fighting tears or the indignant rage she was feeling, it didn't matter. Yuki quickly came to her side.

"Tohru-kun..."

_It isn't fair. Where is he? Why isn't he here? ...I'll just have to find him. And the others... if Haru-kun said they're happier where they are, then I want them to be happy. I'll find them if their chapters aren't complete, but other than that, I want them to be happy...I just want everyone to be happy. They've all had it hard enough for so long, now... I will make them happy if it's the last thing I do!_

Tohru looked up and wiped away her tears.

"Everyone. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Tohru-chan... go _where_, exactly?" Shigure spoke for all of them.

"To find Kyo... and bring him home."

* * *

Kyoko had just made it back to HQ and was reporting to the S.O. 

"So everything went smoothly?"

"Yes, Supreme One. I told her the task and made sure she understands its gravity."

"So she knows how to break the curse, now."

Kyoko froze.

_Oops_.

"What's wrong?" She could hear the amusement in his voice. He _was_ the Supreme One, after all. He knew exactly what had happened and what she was thinking. She tried to not think bitter, bitter thoughts about the fact that it was totally unnecessary to make her report to him when he knew very well what had happened. "You did tell her that by completing her task she'd break the curse, right?"

"Well..."

"But you didn't tell her about the grandchildren."

Kyoko looked up, fully panicked now.

"I forgot about the curse part, yes. But I was under the impression that I was NOT supposed to tell her about the grandchildren."

"You were mistaken. She needs to know that if she fails to complete this task before her children's children are born then they will begin a new generation of zodiac."

"Kyoko."

"Yes?"

"She doesn't know who you were, does she?"

After a long pause, Kyoko finally admitted something she'd never admitted to anyone.

"... no. she has no idea she's a Sohma."

* * *

A/N: I just realized that this whole chapter is pretty much dialogue. Sorry if that's boring... I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I felt so weird the other day! I was reading this one really good fic and it had a lot of things in it that I was thinking about using or have used or will use. I felt ... dirty. Like I had stolen somebody else's ideas. So if you think that I have or did, please know that I didn't! we swears it, precious! 

Oh. And if I get some things "wrong" about relationships or things like that, know that I've read the first four manga and seen the anime. That's pretty much it. So I'm making up the rest as it suits me. So there. just wanted to get that off my chest. . 


	13. Camping

Disclaimer: I like to wear women's clothing. (I am a woman, though... ha! Had you worried, didn't I?!)

A/N: well, another chapter done! I'm finally getting around to the plot! I can't believe its taken so long to get to this point, but I think its for the best. I didn't want to do all of their pasts all at once, that would be boring. But I'm gonna have to get crackin if I want to finish anytime before I get too many chapters... we'll see...

Anyway, thank you soo much to everyone who reviews!

**Pillarchick**- man, I love you, cuz! You always cheer me up! But what was with that last e-card? Did you have a few too many frappacino's?

**Sofia815**- thank you! Congrats! You are my 40th review! Yay!

Nobody else's reviews have showed up (assuming others have written any yet), so that's all I got to say!

* * *

Table of Contents

Sohma Hatsuharu—age 45

Sohma Shigure—age 61

Sohma Kureno—age62

Sohma Ritsu—age 60

Sohma Hatori—age 72

Sohma Momiji—age 60

Sohma Kisa—age70

Sohma Hiro—age 69

Sohma Rin—age 73

Sohma Yuki—age 78

Sohma Ayame—age 89

Sohma Kagura—age 82

* * *

Tohru couldn't help but note how surreal this all felt to her.

Here she was, dead, and yet she had never felt so alive. Giggling at first, she quickly reprimanded herself for not taking this situation more seriously.

She had left the other Sohma's at Shigure's house. She had decided to go to HQ to get some answers herself. She was tempted to just page her mom, but chose not to, just in case she needed her more later. She was already dead. It wasn't like a little exercise was going to kill her.

Sighing to herself, she tore her gaze from the starry sky back to The Book. She really didn't want to read it. Not because she wasn't curious or because she was lazy. She was really just afraid. She didn't want to see what everyone had written. It was so painfully personal and for her to just read it like some ... some... _book_!

A crisp breeze reminded her to put another bit of wood onto her small fire.

_Kyo-kun, you'd be so proud of me! I'm camping out in the wild, just like you used to do! I even remembered how to start a fire!_

She knew that if he could see her, he'd be pleased.

Smiling again, she turned to the table of contents to decide who she would read about first.

_Hmm... I already know about Haru-kun... and since I'm not in the house, I may want to check and see if I'll need to even find the others while I'm gone..._

So she flipped to the chapters on those currently not in Shigure's house.

Once she'd read the chapters on the rooster, horse, and tiger, her tummy's rumbling reminded her it was past supper time.

_Without all those people complaining about their dinner, I forget to feed myself!_

Some people might have been bitter about such a revelation, but it only served to warm Tohru's heart even more. She liked being needed.

After satisfying her tummy's demands, she returned to her task.

After reading Kisa's chapter, Tohru had to take a break to keep from crying.

_Its so sad. Maybe this is my punishment for dying so soon... maybe... maybe because I chose to give up...I am glad that I went first... I don't know how I would have managed if I had to watch everyone else die..._

She had to stop this. This line of thinking was only going to bring her down, and that was something she couldn't afford.

_Gotta keep trucking! So...all of their chapters _seemed_ complete... so who's next?_

Once again staring at the table of contents, indecision plagued the onigiri.

_Hmm... I guess the smartest thing to do would be to just go down the line...and I've already read Haru-kun's past... so next would be Shigure-san._

She read about Mi-chan and smiled. She remembered the day the family was informed of their engagement.

_Everyone was so happy! Mi-chan was always blushing and Shigure-san had this embarrassed but pleased look on his face._

She read about the accident and the funeral and cried. She remembered all too well the pain of the sudden loss.

_Poor Shigure-san... I've never seen a man look the way he did when he heard the news. It looked... like someone had flipped a switch or something and a light inside him died. His eyes... they changed..._

She remembered how Shigure became a teacher but had almost forgotten about his success as a coach.

_Its almost a relief to know he died so soon after me... I feel like I didn't miss much._

When she realized what she was thinking, she scolded herself.

_How terrible! Tohru, how could you think like that?!_

She felt like... something had been planted in her mind... these thoughts weren't like her at all, and yet... they were exactly what a part of her was thinking. It was a part of her she'd never realized was even there. But she liked it that way.

_It's this book... somehow... as I read it, I'm... changing?!_

When that thought sunk into her head, she all but began to laugh out loud.

_Honestly, Tohru! Don't be silly. Maybe you're just being a bit more honest with yourself..._

Whatever the case was, she didn't want to waste anymore time wondering about it.

_This book won't get read by itself!_

At the end of Shigure's chapter, Tohru felt it was definitely complete. She was there for most of it, and so she didn't worry about the few years that had followed her death.

She was about to close the book for the night when she noticed something else on the page... it was hard to see by the fire's light alone, but it looked like there was something else written on the page...

She stepped away from the fire, holding the Book out from her, in hopes that the moon's light would somehow illuminate this mystery.

Oddly enough, it did.

As soon as she was in purely moonlight, she noticed that there was more written on the page than she'd seen before.

_There's more... but its written in between the other lines... why? What does this mean? What is this?_

And as if someone had turned on the lights, it became clear to Tohru what she was looking at...

_Mom had said that the Book would have their life and a confession... these chapters... they've only been biographical... is that a word? bio-graph-ical? Oh well... but in the moonlight, I can see there's writing in between the lines. I have to read between the lines to find out their confessions._

If she wasn't worried before, she was now. Why would the Book do that? Was it for ...their privacy?

_Wait! This means I have to re-read all those other chapters, too!_

Tohru really didn't like The Book very much right then.

* * *

Back at Shigure's house things had gotten eerily quiet since Tohru had left.

Everyone was sad to see her go so soon after waking up—especially Yuki.

He vowed not-so-secretly to get his revenge on Shigure for giving her the Book so soon and therefore making her leave early.

Yet as he stared out his open window into the night sky, he couldn't ignore the feeling in his gut... this feeling that he shouldn't still be there... that he was letting her get away from him again.

_I don't want to loose you, again... I won't loose you again! I don't know if you want me but I can't just stand back and watch you leave me again._

Before he even knew what he was doing, Yuki had gotten out of bed and begun to pack a small bag. He was going after her. What he had failed to do in life, he would accomplish in death.

_I'm coming, Tohru-chan..._

* * *

ACHOO!

Tohru sniffled after the unexpected sneeze.

_Hmm... must be colder out here than I thought... but I have to keep reading... sigh... I think I'll call it a night for now. I've caught up with the confessions and I'll start with... Hatori-san tomorrow!_

And so she snuggled into the sleeping bag she'd brought from Shigure's.

_I can't believe they still had this old thing! It was part of my tent/home before they found me, and when I moved in, they put it away... I'd forgotten it was even mine!_

Once settled, she lay on her back, once again gazing at the stars.

_Are those _really_ the same stars I saw when I was alive? I wonder... maybe... maybe they aren't really stars—ever. Maybe those are people's dreams. Maybe when people pray at night, their hopes go out to the night sky and get caught there. I always feel so inspired when I look at the night sky... maybe that's because I'm looking at someone's dearest wish. I bet the brightest ones are the wishes most desperately wanted..._

Tohru fell asleep to these thoughts, thankful that in the morning, she might just get a chance to see her mother again.

* * *

"Yuki-kun? What on earth are you doing? It's after midnight! You should be asleep."

"I could say the same for you, Hatori-san."

Yuki had hoped to slip out of the house un-noticed, but no such luck. The doctor was on the porch, smoking a cigarette and enjoying the night air. Hatori had always been a hopeless insomniac.

Noting that Yuki had a bag slug over his shoulder hobo-style, the dragon smiled to himself.

_Took you long enough, Yuki. Go get her..._

"Just be careful."

"Eh?!"

"Yuki-kun, tell Tohru we're all rooting for her."

Yuki nodded, understanding how Hatori must feel.

_He still regrets letting Kana-san go. Even after all that happened..._

"Thanks, Hatori-san."

"Goodnight."

"G'night."

Yuki smiled at his older cousin. He'd always been more like a mix of a brother and father to Yuki. Stern, but caring... yet somehow, they shared a bond...

"We both..." Yuki whispered to himself

"... let her go..." Hatori finished.

Without looking back, Yuki began a light jog into the forest. He stopped for a moment to get his bearings and smiled at the memory of earlier that day.

After the conversation with Haru had ended, Tohru announced she was leaving. After arguing for a while, everyone conceded that it had to be done. But there was the question of how she'd get there.

"Haru-kun, couldn't you give me directions?"

Once the laughter had died down, Tohru realized what she had asked and was blushing at her slip in judgment.

Then it hit them—how _was_ she getting there?

"She'll have to walk." Hatori was the first to speak.

"But to where?" Kagura was getting frustrated with the whole situation. She'd been in a bad mood since it was said that Kyo would never be with them. That did not sit well with her. Not at all.

"Well, I get we could call and ask for directions?" Momiji offered.

"Call who?" Yuki didn't like this whole thing. _Why can't she just stay here?_

"Bingo!" Shigure cried from his position by the fridge.

"What? Do you have the number for HQ? If you do, then she won't have to leave!" Yuki felt a surge of hope.

"Hmm? What? Phone number? Oh dear. You guys started the discussion without me! I was just checking to see if there were any leftovers from earlier. I wanted a little snack..."

"SHIGURE!!!!"

* * *

FIVE MINUTES LATER

* * *

"Now hold the ice there. I'm sure the swelling will go down shortly."

"Thank you, Tohru-kun! Ah! Our sweet flower! Only you care for me!"

"There, there, Shigure-san... Hmm? What's this? I don't remember this being here before?"

Tohru was closing the freezer door when a magnet caught her eye. It was in the shape of an onigiri. She was certain that hadn't been there before...

"What is it, Tohru?" Momiji, being the most curious by nature had come up behind the girl and was peeking around her arm for a look at the mysterious object.

"_'Need some answers? Feeling confused? Lost?'_" Tohru read from the magnet. Upon the last question all eyes shot to Haru, who pointedly ignored their implied insult.

"Go on, Tohru-san! Keep reading!"

"Sure, sorry, Kagura... _'Come to HQ. Get answers. To get there, just follow your heart...'_"

Tohru looked to the others, confused an hoping to find clarification in her friends.

"Interesting." Haru was the first to say.

"But what does it mean?" Yuki wasn't too sure he like how this sounded. It seemed risky.

The Sohmas launched into a huge debate while Tohru remained pensive.

_What does it mean? Follow my heart...?_

"Oh! I get it! I just have to trust myself and go!"

The noise immediately died as the others looked at Tohru in amazement.

"Well. With that settled, I'll go pack and cook dinner before I leave!"

She was serious. She was going to just start walking and see where it lead her. This was not good.

They tried to convince her to let Yuki come with her, but she kindly refused. It was her task to complete. Besides, if she did get lost, she didn't want Yuki to be separated from everyone, too.

"I couldn't bear the thought of me being responsible for that!"

And so she had left. Alone and oblivious to her course. She turned around three times before she'd even gotten out of the sight of Shigure's house.

It was not an encouraging sight.

And now here was Yuki, doing the same crazy thing.

_If I don't hurry, I won't get away from the house before everyone else wakes up. I don't think I could bear them seeing me wander around like a fool... no offense, Tohru-kun... I want to get away from this house!_

Suddenly, Yuki was on an unfamiliar path. This was a good thing.

As the sun peeked over the hillside, Yuki looked behind him.

_No sign of the house... hmph... looks like everything worked out! Maybe Tohru-kun was right about this... just follow my heart. ... yes, that is exactly what I'm doing. For the first time, I'm following my heart!_

* * *

A/N: so... hope this was entertaining. Hope there are more than just two of you guys still reading by this point... sigh... well, I'm gonna post this and get ready for church.... Yay, God! Woot! 


	14. Phone Etiquette

Disclaimer: Furuba iddn't mine. Nope. But I do have a few characters of my own! Like the husband! Yeah! He's mine!

A/N: It's been awhile, huh? Sorry 'bout that. But it's hard to stay motivated when I only get three reviews per chapter... I'm not a saint! I want reviews!!! Sigh... whatever. I know I can always count on Pillarchick to review! I luv you, cuz!

And to anyone else who's reading this but not reviewing: many curses upon you! Thanks for reading! ... But curses!!!

I think I want to finish this fic and start a new one. Not sure on what, yet... but this one is kind of dragging. I do like this story. I think it is good. I admit it can be confusing, since I can't tell you guys everything yet, and that it has been taking a long time for stuff to happen... but still!

Anyway...

* * *

Name: Sohma Hatori 

Age at time of death: 72

Cause: Lung cancer

_It must have been all those cigarettes... he always was smoking, but it seemed so natural for him to be smoking... he was so "_hot".

Tohru had to stifle a giggle and reprimand herself. She was enjoying this too much. She had always been optimistic, but to be making fun of the dead?! That wasn't right. Especially since they were her friends. Practically her family...

After a restless night, Tohru had risen early to make herself some breakfast. She'd come well prepared to stay in the wild for a few days, since it shouldn't take longer than that to get to the main office place.

As she restocked the fire to boil some water, she admired the scenery. Lush trees surrounded her, birds filled the air with sweet songs and rays of gentle light filtered through the dense foliage.

_Now I understand why Kyo-kun was always running away to the mountains... it's so beautiful here... Kyo-kun... where are you? I know you... died... but why aren't you here? Why are you still suffering?_

The screaming of a kettle on the fire warned her not to get too lost in her thoughts.

After breakfast, she decided it was so nice in this little spot and, as it had to be done eventually, why not take the opportunity to read some more before she broke camp?

_I just... don't want to leave here, yet... It's like someone wants me to stay or something... hmm... well, whatever the case, I need to do some reading! Hatori-sensei is next!_

* * *

A phone was ringing. 

He could hear it ringing, but he didn't want to answer it. Well, it wasn't so much that he didn't want to answer it as it was he didn't want to miss what was happening.

If the calculations were correct, today was the day.

Yoshiro was going to meet her. He was going to meet the woman he was meant for!

Futsu Wantanabe could barely contain his excitement. Not only was his first born about to find his true love, but this meant he was making progress in his own task!

This was good news. He decided it was a good time to give his daily update to his dear wife. It was something he'd picked up from her in the early years of their marriage. She would get quiet for a while sometimes... it was like she was praying. Finally, Futsu asked her what she was doing and she told him she was talking to her mother. Ever since her death, he'd reported to her, so it was like she was still with him.

_Tohru-chan... our boys are so big, now! Yoshi is supposed to meet her today... what was her name? Oh well, I'll know when he sees her... I wish that phone would quit ringing! I can't hear what's going on down there... oh! Yes, anyway, on with my report..._

Futsu loved Tohru. When she had agreed to marry him... he'd said he was the happiest man alive. Well, afterwards someone upstairs was curious about that. So it was checked out: who was the happiest person in the world at that exact moment.

It turned out that not only was he the happiest at that moment, but to date, not one person had been happier.

That was the extent of Futsu's love for Tohru.

When she died, so did he. You heard it on television and in sappy romances, but when a man loves a woman so wholly... her death is his, too.

He was gone within a year of her. The doctor's couldn't explain it or fix it—after all, how can you fix a broken soul?

But death had been kind to him.

Although he couldn't see her right away, he was told that as soon as he'd completed his "task," he could be with her.

And that's exactly what he was trying to do. It was really hard to concentrate on doing his job, though, when the phone wouldn't stop ringing!

And on cue, it stopped.

_Phew... finally. That was really annoying._

Thinking aloud, Futsu complained, "Honestly, can't a guy get some peace around here?"

"Well I'm so sorry to disturb you."

"Eep!" Futsu instinctively curled into a fetal position, covering his head. He hated it when people snuck up on him. He'd been teased as a kid, and had taken to hiding in bushes when the older boys came looking for him. When someone snuck up on him, he couldn't help but wait for the first fist to connect.

_Get a hold of yourself, man! You're not a child! You're_ dead _now! No one's coming to get you!_

"...Did you just say 'eep'?"

_... wait. I know that voice..._

Timidly, he peeked from between his arms that were protecting his face to see an alarmingly familiar sight.

"Supreme One-sama!!! Uh... I... that is... what are you... is it because today Yoshi—"

"Futsu."

"Yes?"

"I'd like to show you something... remarkable. Do you think you can handle it?"

"What is it, Supreme One-sama?"

"Futsu, you are the only one I've ever shown this to, so I want you to pay close attention..."

"Oh! YESSIR!" Futsu saluted, almost shaking with a mixture of excitement and the usual overpowering fear of the S.O.'s awesome presence.

The S.O. turned slowly and began walking. Futsu followed, thinking about what an honor this was! THE S.O. wanted him to be the first to see something!

_Oh, what could it be?! Maybe it's the cure for world hunger! Or the key to world peace? Or a flying car! That would be really cool. I wonder why they never made those while I was alive?_

The S.O. stopped and turned to face Futsu. He moved to one side and with a wide sweep of an arm presented the marvelous mystery object:

"...It's just a telephone..." Futsu couldn't help but be disappointed. Everyone knew what a telephone was...

_Is this a special phone?_

"You mean you've seen one of these before?" Futsu didn't catch the large dose of sarcasm delivered with the question.

"Of course I have! Everyone knows what a phone is! Honestly, S.O.-sama, if this is all you wanted..."

"So... if you know what a phone is, would you be so kind as to tell me what is it used for?"

"A phone? ...uh, Sir... it's used to contact people you want to speak with..."

"_REALLY_?" Futsu was on dangerous ground. The S.O.'s words were dripping with so much sarcasm, it could've choked a horse.

"Yeah. But why are you asking _me_? Everyone knows how to use a phone!"

"Just one more question, Futsu... How does one know when somebody is trying to get in contact with them?"

"The phone rings! Honestly, S.O.-sama! I know you know all of this! What is going on?"

"**_That is precisely what I want to know!_**"

Futsu gulped audibly and returned to his fetal position. He'd never seen S.O. actually mad at someone before... The already intimidating figure had grown to about twice his normal size. But it seemed his lung capacity had quadrupled.

**_Why didn't you answer your phone? Did you not hear it ringing? Should I make it louder next time? Or were you too busy to hear what I have to say to you? Is what I have to say not_ important _enough for you to get off your_ brain _and answer the PHONE?!!!_**

The only thing running across Futsu's mind was the chanting of "_NOT-GOOD, SO NOT-GOOD_!"

* * *

The crowning achievement of Hatori Sohma was the discovery of The Pill. Nobody could remember its medical name, so they all just called it that. 

It was a truly remarkable discovery. Through mixing different herbs and a few prescription medications, Hatori had found a way to suppress the chemical imbalance which caused the zodiac's transformations.

Now those under the curse could hold those of the opposite sex and not transform.

But when your greatest accomplishment concerns the greatest secret of one of Japan's most powerful families, the kudos are few.

So he remained the Sohma family doctor. His life was now completely devoted to caring for Akito.

The others saw less and less of him after Tohru married. She had been a beacon to the zodiac—a reason to gather outside of the main house and away from Akito's watchful eye. So when she married outside the Sohmas, they all felt the loss. She was like one of them.

Hatori had insisted on keeping Tohru and her new family as patients. He'd told Tohru the others wouldn't leave him alone otherwise, but she'd suspected he missed her, too.

When news of Tohru's pregnancy reached the zodiac, all hell broke loose.

Shigure was running around the room, crying, "I'm gonna be an uncle! I'm gonna be an uncle!" and Ayame soon followed suit. Kagura and Momiji were holding hands, crying and jumping up and down.

Everyone was happy. Except Yuki. He wasn't _not_ happy for her, but he couldn't hear this news without remembering that this could have been his.

Things sobered quickly when Yuki reminded them that she wasn't really family.

"Well, close enough for me," Kagura said angrily. She hated it when Yuki pouted over Tohru. And she'd told him so. It was his own stupid fault for letting her get away. But Tohur was happy now and she wasn't going to hold that against her. "C'mon, Momitchi! Let's go shopping! I want to get Tohru something nice!"

Hatori delivered Tohru's first born—as well as her second. Since he was the family doctor, he'd had training in most medical fields—including being an obstetrician.

Things were quiet for Hatori for a long time after that. He helped lives be welcomed into the world and others leave peacefully.

Until it was Akito's turn.

Akito had always been sickly. But somehow, he'd never been considered "weak" by the family. So when he died in his sleep... there were rumors.

The night before, Akito and Hatori had a fight. This was rare enough, as Hatori hadn't warranted the wrath of the family head since he'd wanted to marry Kana.

Apparently, Akito didn't like how much attention Hatori was giving the Watanabes. He said that it was Hatori's job to protect his family, not Tohru's. Hatori said he wasn't taking any time away from the Sohmas. And besides, they needed the help— Tohru had been dying.

But Akito wasn't listening. He never really did listen. The cogs of his sick mind that whispered soft lies to ease the pain of his body's illness drowned out others' words and rationality.

There were those who thought that Hatori had finally snapped and killed Akito in his sleep. Others said it was natural causes.

But all agreed on one thing:

Nobody really would miss him.

Not long after, Yuki was named as Akito's successor (not a big surprise) and life for the Sohmas moved on.

This was about two years after Tohru died, but Hatori continued to watch over her family. He was 61.

When he was almost 64 years old, he was doing some shopping for the upcoming grave visit. It was almost the 10th anniversary of Tohru's death, and they had already begun the preparations for the banquet.

It had been Yuki's idea to do it, the first time. He wanted to honor her... he said they all should be together... for her...

And so it became a tradition to gather for a second banquet on the anniversary of Tohru's death. All 13 of them came the first year. After that, Kyo had sent flowers in his stead.

It was almost time for the preparations to begin, and Hatori had lost at rock paper scissors, so he was the one stuck picking up a few last minute things. He was mumbling about a certain eccentric idiot and his unnatural ability to win when work was at stake when he bumped into a familiar face. Or what used to be a familiar.

It wasn't often that he ran into Kana. Even in the silver years of her life, she still struck him with the life and light in her eyes.

"Oh! Hatori-sensei! It's so good to see you again! Why, it's been ages, hasn't it? How are you?"

"Fine. How is your family? All well?"

Kana had become a doctor after her tutelage under Hatori. She got an offer at a top-notch hospital in Osaka, and had moved away. When she retired a few years ago, she'd moved back with her husband (whose name Hatori never did learn).

At the mention of "family," he saw the light in her dim.

"I guess you didn't hear... My husband passed away last year. It was his liver. I didn't catch it in time..."

"I am sorry for your loss. Here's my card. Call me sometime if you would like to talk again. Again, I am sorry but I really have to be going."

After that day, Hatori thought about Kana almost constantly.

He still loved her.

After everything that had happened, after so many years... even after having to erase her memories of their time together... he still wanted to be with her. He still wanted her.

Memories long wished away stirred within his time-aged brain and resurfaced.

She was the last person he'd ever used his ability on. He'd always managed to convince Akito that it wasn't necessary up until the completion of The Pill. After that, nobody found out their secret, so nobody had had to be dealt with.

When Kana called him the next day, they had lunch together.

The next day, they had lunch and dinner.

And the next day, and the next, too.

After a few weeks, Hatori proposed.

She accepted.

Now that Akito was gone, Hatori was free. No— it was that now that he finally had her... with Kana he was free.

He died happy at the age of 72. Kana died shortly after him, from complications of a broken hip.

* * *

Yuki felt like he'd been walking forever. He was tired, but he knew he couldn't stop until he found her. 

It looked like there was a clear ahead. And there was the sound of a small stream.

Hmm... this may be a good place to rest...

"...sniffle..."

What was that?!

Yuki heard something. It sounded like... someone was crying...?

He broke into a run—the sound was coming from the clearing ahead.

He never expected to find Tohru there. And especially not sitting in her pajamas, reading The Book, with tears streaming down her cheeks and a huge smile plastered on her face. A soft blush had stained her pale skin and her hair was highlighted by playful shafts of light peeking through the trees. Even though it was apparent she'd just woken up and had for some reason been crying, he'd never seen her more beautiful.

"...I'm so happy for you, Hatori-san!" She wiped a tear away, unaware of her audience.

"...huff wheeze... Tohru-kun...?"

"Ah! Yuki-kun! What are you doing here?"

Yuki had already thrown off his rucksack. He'd found her. Before she could ask anymore questions, Yuki had her in his arms.

"Wha... Yuki-kun?"

"Please... don't leave me again... please, Tohru-chan... let me stay beside you this time!"

* * *

A/N: As soon as sis WAKES UP! and edits this for me, I'll be up. If you like this story, please, please, please review it! And stuff... I need an ego boost... (Yeah, what she said...Ikustioa-beta-reader's note) 


	15. A Little from Column A

Disclaimer: stuff. I don't. you don't. don't make me say it again. If you have enough time and energy to be suing people over things like this... (shudders)

A/N: So! Has it been awhile? I can't remember... the weeks all kind of meld together... I feel so old... (sigh) but! Whatever, right? Oh! For those of you who don't know, I have a new fic now! Its an Inu Yasha and it's a comedy. Yay for not being depressing. Its called "Drive Me Crazy". Ignore the cheesy title and just read, dern you all! (glares)

Anyway... shout outs!

**Poplollyblues: huzzah! 50th review _and_ baked goods... you've made me so happy (wipes tear)**

**Sofia815: glad to hear you approve! Although I have to wonder about the length... I think that was actually one of my longer chapters... or did you perchance mean to poke at the fact that this isn't the happiest fic around? (wink wink) its all good!**

**Pillarchick: just keep on truckin' cuz! Love ya!**

**Bijoux no Miko: ...so... the date is 11- 06 –04... let's see how long it takes _this_ time...**

Enough chattering and whatnot... on with the show!!

* * *

"Please... don't leave me again... please, Tohru-chan... let me stay beside you this time!" 

This all was really happening too fast for Tohru. One minute she'd been sitting by herself in the middle of the woods reading Hatori's past and the next thing she knew, there was Yuki, asking her to let him stay with her...

"Yuki-kun...? What do you mean? Did you follow me? Is it okay for you to come with me? Don't you have a task, too? I don't want to keep you from your task!"

Yuki took her by her arms and looked her straight in the eye.

"Then let me follow you."

"...? What do you mean?"

"Tohru-chan. This is my task. In life... I never had the courage... but now... I..." Yuki broke his hold on Tohru and turned his head away, slightly ashamed...

It was like time had stopped. Tohru felt something within her stirring with every word Yuki spoke.

"Yuki-kun?" She began to reach out to him, but drew back when he spoke.

"Were you happy? With Futsu-san, I mean. Did he make you happy?"

_Why... why now? Why are you asking me this now, Yuki-kun? Was I happy?_

"...Yes... and no..."

Yuki didn't know whether to feel relieved or not.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask such personal things..."

"No! Yuki-kun! Please... if you have something you want or need to know... please ask me."

She has no idea what she's asking me to do... I can't just say it... if it was that easy, I would have done it in life...

Tohru was really starting to worry. Yuki never had this much trouble talking to her...

When Yuki looked up again, it was to see worry in her eyes. That was one thing he could not bear. He would not cause her any worry or any pain.

"Forgive me, Tohru-kun. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"But you didn't ask..."

"Never mind, Tohru-kun. We'll talk more later, alright?" He smiled one of his youthful smiles, the kind that drove mass quantities of teenaged girls nearly over the brink of insanity. If he could make it look sincere enough, she'd stop worrying about him.

As he watched her eyes clear, he began to relax.

"Sure! Oh! Are you hungry? I already ate, but if you'd like I wouldn't mind making some breakfast for you?"

"That would be wonderful, Tohru-chan."

* * *

Poor Futsu. 

He really wasn't expecting to be in trouble for ignoring the phone. He still couldn't believe that they had telemarketers in the after life...

Once the S.O. was done ranting and scaring the metaphorical poo out of him, he let Futsu get back to business.

"So when I call, I expect an answer! Understand?"

"Ye-yessir!"

* * *

Kyoko had to tell Tohru the entire story, and that was all there was to it. Tohru had to know the consequences of failing or dawdling... 

But how? How could she say it to her own daughter? She'd never told anyone about it. Only those who knew her before she met her husband knew the entire truth about her past.

As she left the main office building, she began rehearsing what she would say... she wanted this to be perfect. For Tohru's sake, this could be joyous or tragic, depending on how Kyoko presented the facts...

This was not going to be easy.

* * *

_SOME TIME LATER, BACK AT THE RANCH_

* * *

"But I'm bored! Play with me!" Hatori felt a familiar tug at his sleeve. Breathing deeply, he wondered why he felt like a father when he'd never even had children... 

Without looking away from the newspaper he was reading, he calmly recited his token response to such pleadings.

"For the last time, I said 'no'. Now go away. I'm trying to read." He felt the hands at his wrist fall in dejection and smiled quietly to himself. _He is still such a child sometimes..._

"Oh you're no fun at all, Ha'ri!" Hatori was getting fed-up with this. He folded his paper neatly to look the source of his irritation in the eye.

"Shigure, I'm sure you can find _something_ to do to pass the time... Why don't you go bother Momiji-kun?"

"He's taking a bath." Shigure was sitting on his knees beside Hatori's chair. His arms were folded in a pout and his lower lip stuck out to complete the effect.

"Alright..." Running through the possibilites in his head, Hatori knew Kagura wouldn't put up with him. Haru was eating in the kitchen but he'd been a little touchy since Yuki had left. Not a good idea to irritate him now... He braced himself, knowing this was a last resort. "Where's Aya?"

"He's locked himself in his room. He said he's working on something for when Tohru-kun gets home... every once in a while, I hear him start laughing. Its kind of frightening..."

Hatori nodded in vague agreement and re-opened the paper. It was rather thoughtful of them to deliver a paper to the residents of Shigure's house. Being dead wasn't really all that bad, Hatori decided. They even had a paper dedicated to events in the world of the living.

He found a particularly interesting article on the progress scientists had made in the field of cloning when he remembered Shigure was waiting to be entertained.

"Indeed. Why don't you... go... write something, perhaps? That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Ha'ri... this is so boring! There's nobody to pick on or play with...I wish Tohru-chan and Yuki-kun would come back. They've been gone a week and a half now!"

"Shigure, I'm certain that it will take a while for them to complete their tasks. Especially if my hunch is correct. If Tohru-kun has to do what I think she does, we may not be seeing those two for a long time..."

Hatori peeked from behind the paper to see Shigure's look of sheer horror at either Hatori knowing some gossip which he did not or the prospect of not having a cook and an easy target around for a long time.

"You mean there's _more_ to what she has to do? I thought she just had to finish the Book or something like that... I wasn't really paying attention... What do you know?! How? What , what, what, what is it?!!!" Shigure really wanted to know this. Hatori knew this mainly from the immensely whiny tone his cousin was using.

"Don't be an idiot. If you _think_ about it, it should be obvious what she has to do." After a moment of silence passed, Hatori continued. "...sigh... I can't believe I have to spell this out for you."

"Yes! Spell, spell!"

"... Tohru can't complete the Book because there isn't enough room, right?"

"WHAT?!"

"Honestly, are you really that stupid, or are you just pretending to help pass the time?!"

After considering this for a moment, Shigure sat up with a happy expression on his face. With one hand resting on his now crossed legs and the other up by his head with one finger pointing up, he answered in a matter of fact manner:

"... a little from column A... a little from column B..." If Shigure didn't know his cousin as well as he did, he might not have dodged the pillow that came flying at his head as easily as he did.

"Be serious! This is important!" As if someone had flipped a switch, Shigure was suddenly stroking his chin while donning an expression that screamed, "I'm intelligent."

"SO... if she can't finish it, then what's going to happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that before anything can be resolved... she has to find..."

Hatori leaned in and paused for dramatic effect. Shigure, rapt with interest, rested his elbows on the ground and placed his chin on his fists. "Uh-huh... _what_ does she have to find?"

"_Who_."

"Huh? Um... I think we were talking about Tohru-kun."

"No!"

"Yes we were! And I thought you knew what you were talking about, Ha'ri... so why ask me?"

"No. Not _what_. **Who**."

"Who?"

"Yes."

"Wait. What?"

"No! I told you! Who!"

"AGH! My head hurts..."

From the kitchen, there suddenly was a loud crash. This stopped the cousins as they turned to see the cause of the disturbance.

"... _bitch, _**_bitch_**_, BITCH_! Why don't you quit talkin' so much... it's grating on my ears!"

It would seem they'd managed to irritate Black Haru... this wasn't going to be pretty...

* * *

Tohru still couldn't believe it. Yuki had come after her. And then he'd said all those things to her... she just didn't know how to feel about it all. 

_I was in love with Yuki-kun... but that was so long ago... but I never really stopped myself one day and said "I don't think I love him any more!"... I was in love with Futsu-chan... I know that... but it was never the same as it was with Yuki-kun. When he said that he wanted to stay with me... I don't know if I was happy or heartbroken. Why now? What is happening? Why did he say that?_

Yuki couldn't help but notice how stiff Tohru was being. Sure, she was being just as sweet as usual, but he sensed that she was uncomfortable. Something was the matter. He knew it was his fault.

_Moron. She's probably worried sick about how to tell you nicely that she doesn't want you... I shouldn't have come. But if I hadn't I would still be wondering 'what if?'... this has to end. I can't be the cause of pain to her. That's not what I want. That's not why I came here. She needs to know the _whole_ truth._

"Tohru-kun..." 

"Ah! Uh.. yes?"

"I... " _Dammit! Why are these things so hard to say?! They're just words!_

Yuki looked up with determination and met Tohru's uncertain look.

_Crap. I can't..._

"I... I think you should read more of that book! Yeah. That's it... uh... don't you still have a lot left to read? We've been gone so long now and I've never seen you even open it."

"Oh." Yuki winced. He could feel years of waiting and repeated disappointment wrapped painfully in that one syllable. "Sure. I just didn't want to be rude. If you wanted to talk or something, it would be rude of me to be reading while you wanted to have a conversation..."

"Tohru-kun... this is something you must do. Don't worry about anyone or anything else. Alright?" He smiled in hopes she would listen to him and drop the subject. "Tell you what. You read a chapter or two while I go work out. How's that?"

"Work out? But Yuki-kun... I don't think I've ever seen you—"

"Don't worry about it. Just read." This smile could have blown a couple of fuses among his fangirls back in his high school days.

"... Alright, Yuki-kun! Have a nice work-out!"

"... Thank you... I'll be back!" As he gathered some water canteens and towels, he waved without looking back at Tohru. He wasn't sure, but he almost thought he heard her saying something as he left.

"... come back safely..."

* * *

Sohma Momiji. 

A name synonymous with fame. By the age of 18, he was one of Japan's leading male pop icons. He was a star of film, music and an all around heart-throb. His face was plastered on every billboard, his music on every radio station, his name on every pubescent girl's glossy lips.

And by the age of 20, he was old news.

With only a few campy movies and cliché songs to his name, Japan soon grew tired of their favorite "little boy."

He had made millions in his short career, though, and lived in luxury even after his name dropped from the headlines.

Though he faded from the spotlight, he continued to act in made-for-TV movies and do plugs for second-rate organizations.

When he was 23, Hatori's Pill was discovered and Momiji married his make-up artist.

He divorced her when he was 24 and remarried another woman, who nobody remembers.

In all he married five times before finding his match. Her name was Hanajima Saki.

When they married, he was 30 and she was 32.

They had met again at a baby shower for Tohru's second child and began talking again. They had never been close in high school, yet as adults Saki had to admit she was intrigued by the erratic "waves" emitted by the rabbit. And Momiji had never dated anyone like her...

Nobody could really explain why, but the two made a perfect pair. Perhaps it was her calming qualities that complemented his booming levels of energy. Whatever the case, they were happy.

Momiji had made enough money during his career that neither really had to work for the new family to live comfortably.

When the children started coming, Momiji would do a few jobs here and there to make a little extra money.

They had three children in all, two boys they named Hito and Futa, and a girl they lovingly named Kyoko.

When Momiji was 46, Tohru died. Inspired by grief, he wrote a song in memory of her passing and decided to release it as a new single. He needed work to distract him from the loss. Tohru had been like a mother to him.

When he finished recording that album, he did a press conference announcing that half of the proceeds from sales would go directly to a breast cancer awareness foundation, while the rest would be used to create a scholarship fund in loving memory of Tohru.

He named it the Guardian Angels Scholarship, and, to date, it is the largest and most prestigious award a student can earn, as there are five annual recipients based upon recommendations, essays and interviews. It is a national competition ending on the anniversary of Tohru Wantanabe's death, when the winners are announced and given their awards by Momiji, his wife, and a few other important Sohmas.

The first year, the recipients wanted to celebrate with the Sohmas or at least spend some time with the famous family. They declined, however, saying they had somewhere to be after the ceremony was over.

When Momiji was 60 years old, he and his wife were riding their new motorcycles when there was an accident.

They were both killed on impact.

* * *

Tohru closed the book with her thumb holding her place. Tears flowed with no hindrance, no hint of shame. 

_Oh, Momiji-kun! Thank you so, so much... I can't believe you did all of that in my name... thank you... and Hana-chan... you were so happy with Momiji-kun. You were like an entirely new person when you fell in love. I'm so glad you were happy..._

Taking a calming breath, Tohru looked around to see if Yuki had come back yet.

No sign of him. _Guess I'll read the next chapter! Who's next?_

Re-opening the Book, she turned the last page of Momiji's story and flipped through the next few chapters.

_I've read these already... Kisa was after Momiji, then was Hiro, and Rin... I think the rest is all new stuff! Alrighty! Who's next?_

As she read the words, Tohru felt her heart stop.  
****

**Chapter 10**

**Sohma Yuki **

She knew it would come eventually, but she kept somehow convincing herself that the time would never come when she'd be faced with his true feelings for her.

"No... not like this... I can't do it!" She spoke to herself mostly, but the words needed to be said and not just thought, like a mantra to protect her. What she needed protection from, she still wasn't sure.

"Tohru-kun! What's wrong? You've been crying..."

She looked up to see Yuki kneeling next to her, sweat covering his lean, young body.

"I-I, uh... that is... you see..."

Yuki followed her gaze down to where she had dropped the Book on the ground in front of her. Tohru noticed that Yuki noticed and decided this was not a good thing.

_Must change the subject! AH!_

"I... I... thought I heard a bear!"

"What?!"

"Remember when we went to the lake that first year? When we thought that... uh, 'Jackson' would get us?"

Yuki looked relieved as he stood. Smiling, he corrected her, "Jason. And it wasn't a bear."

"What do you mean? I thought it was a bear... was it a ...a..." Tohru's brow creased as she thought furiously trying to come up with some other frightening woodland creature. She couldn't think of anything so she just threw out the first animal that came to mind. Yuki needed a good laugh. "A... kangaroo?"

* * *

A/N: Good Lord. This is my third try to finish this freaking chapter. First, the power went out while writing the A/N... then, I ended up having to leave as soon as the comp reloaded so I could meet a friend and chat for a few minutes and come back to finally finish this damn thing! Anyway... hey! This is the longest chapter yet, methinks! YAY! (Beta's note: Hur-ray! Hur-RAY! -Ikustioa) Anyone who knows that reference gets a million brownie points! 

P.S: DAMN IT ALL!!! I finished this chapter yesterday... but when the power went out, it did something funky to the net and we couldn't sign on until this morning when sis (woot woot!) managed to fix it by process of poking at wires and accidentally turning the powerstrip off...

whatever. At least its finally done! (so... happy!)


	16. All in the Family

Disclaimer: I am a bad, bad author who has put off updating for far too long… oh, and I don't own dees guys… heh heh…

A/N: Well… it's been way too long and I really do apologize for the wait… suffice to say there's been a whole lot of stuff going on lately that's given me reason to slack off… mainly bronchitis and the war in Iraq (seriously, my brother came home from overseas for Thanksgiving and got beyond sick… it sucked hardcore…). But that's no excuse, and I admit it and hang my head in shame…

On to responses!

**Poplollyblues:** you are perhaps one of my most faithful reviewers! I am so sorry I took so long this time! (flogs self)

**Pillarchick:** heh heh heh… here's another happy surprise for you! (wink wink)

**Cor-chan:** O.O …thank you so much! Yay for complements! That was one of the nicest reviews I've gotten!

**Chaos-Empersonified:** heh heh… nice quotation, there, buddy! And thank you very much!

Well, sis just woke up, so as soon as I can pester her enough, she'll grudgingly beta this and I'll finally get it posted… heh, love ya, sis! You rock! (imaginary glomp) one of these days, we're gonna have to have another cripple/invalid pillow fight… (evil grin)

On with the show!

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Tohru's hands froze as she looked at the page.

_Yuki's past… but he's standing right here beside me… I can't… not yet…I'll come back to this chapter last…_

Ashamed, Tohru turned past Yuki's story and went to the second to last one: his brother, Ayame.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

_Sohma Ayame_

By far the most flamboyant of the zodiac, Ayame lived a life in the spotlight.

A year or so before Tohru married, he took his private business global and became a major fashion designer. He begged Tohru to model for him, but she modestly refused.

Ayame's career followed a pattern much like Tohru's life.

When she was getting married, he was merging with other companies to build his own.

When she was pregnant for the first time, he began designing maternity clothes.

When her children were born, he began a line of clothing for children.

In many ways, her personal victories were winning Ayame's war against the public's pocket books.

Not to say he was greedy. In fact, his clothes were known for their style, quality and agreeable cost. You didn't have to be rich to wear Ayame's clothes.

Naturally, he married his assistant, Miine. It came as a shock to most who knew him, as they all figured that he was afraid to take the plunge, or that maybe he just was too dense to realize what a wonderful thing he could have with his faithful friend.

They were beyond happy together.

When Ayame was 40, he became a father. Yuki still shudders at the thought to this day.

They named their daughter Hikaeme, which means modest. And things continued at a steady pace for a long time. For eight years, actually.

That was when Tohru died.

Along with the others, Ayame was heartbroken. He'd considered Tohru to be the sister he never had and doted on her as such. Without even realizing what he'd been doing, Ayame was trying to have the relationship he never had with Yuki through Tohru.

But now she was gone.

When the others approached him with the idea of the scholarship, he naturally agreed to help fund it.

This was about the time that Ayame stopped designing clothes. He announced his retirement to a dismayed public, but would not be swayed.

He still made the costumes for the annual New Year's banquet of the zodiac, but that was pretty much it.

This was also about the time that things between him and Yuki finally began to heal.

They still acted like there was the rift there, but the sting had gone out of Yuki's words and Ayame was somehow a bit subdued around his brother.

When Ayame was 80, Miine died of heart disease.

After the her death, he and Yuki grew even closer than before.

Eight years later, Yuki died.

Anyone who knew Ayame knew that a piece of him died that day, as well. Losing his brother was the last straw for the snake.

He died in his sleep a few months after his brother at the age of 89.

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Kyoko was actually nervous. This did not happen to the fiery woman and she did not like it one bit.

But this had to be done.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me, uh… Kyoko-san… uh… Okaa-san… umm…"

"Please, Futsu-kun. Just call me Kyoko."

Nervously, Futsu ran his fingers through his messy black hair. Even in the afterlife, his meekness and disheveled appearance was endearing. Kyoko could see immediately why her daughter had fallen for him.

"O-okay, Kyoko-san…" He coughed uncomfortably. "What is it?"

"Futsu-kun. What did Tohru-chan tell you about my past?"

Futsu was startled by her question. "Uh… I'm not sure what you mean, ma'am…"

"Sorry. Let me be more specific… what did she tell you about my family?"

His brows furrowed in contemplation for a moment.

"Um… nothing, really. She said you had some sort of a falling out with them a long time ago and left it at that… why do you ask?"

"Futsu-kun… I've kept something from my daughter. I never had the chance to tell her before the accident, but it's important that I tell her."

His mouth open slightly in anticipation, Futsu nodded mutely for her to continue.

"…sigh… you know we all have our special tasks, right?"

"Yes, of course… what does that have to do with it?" His words weren't meant to sound rude, but he was the type to speak before thinking.

Smiling patiently, Kyoko continued. "Dear, I was just getting to that part. Now, for Tohru, her task is fairly important." The normally goofy man immediately changed when he heard his wife's name. The awkwardness that seemed to permeate his entire being was immediately banished as he straightened. If this was about his Tohru-chan, his mother in-law would have his undivided attention. Futsu was all business when it came to his wife.

"It's all very complicated and long, but I'll summarize as best I can—" and before he could even say anything else, she amended, "it's okay if you don't understand everything. Just be patient with me, okay?"

When he grimly nodded. With a deep breath, Kyoko began.

"You know the Sohmas, of course." He curtly nodded. He didn't dislike them, but he knew how Yuki and Kyo had felt about his wife. He liked them as individuals, but it was always painfully awkward if their flower wasn't with them and they were forced to converse only among themselves.

"Well, this involves them. More than I think even they know."

That definitely got his attention.

"Why? What is it, Kyoko-san? What is going on?"

"In short, Tohru-chan's task in the afterlife is to find the zodiac and—"

"Wait. What zodiac?"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. She had forgotten how seriously her daughter took her promises.

"It's another long story. But for now, suffice to say that this 'zodiac' consists of twelve—well, technically thirteen members of the Sohma family. Most of them, you know quite well, actually. But that's beside the point, dear."

"Why haven't I heard about this before?" he asked shrewdly. There was definitely something fishy going on here. And Tohru was in the middle of it, somehow. He didn't like how this was sounding…

"As I was saying, Tohru has to find them, as they are now all dead and in the afterlife as well. When she finds them, they have to write their confessions in The Book—don't worry, about that part, it's just a formality, really. Tohru thinks that that is her main purpose: get each of the thirteen to write their hearts into that single tome. However…"

"What?! What's gone wrong? Is she alright?"

"Easy, dear. She's fine. A bit confused, granted, but fine nonetheless. The problem is that there isn't enough room in the book for the thirteen member of the zodiac."

"Why are there more than can fit?"

"I couldn't say for sure… but if she can't figure out a way to fit the thirteenth member, then the curse that plagues the house of Sohma will be passed to the next generation."

"Curse?" Futsu gulped. He _definitely_ did not like the sound of that.

"To put it shortly, Futsu-kun, every other generation or so in the Sohma family, there are thirteen children brought into this world who are possessed by the vengeful spirits of the thirteen animals of the zodiac."

"But there are only twelve in the zodiac, Kyoko-san…"

"Now, yes. But in the beginning, there was also the cat."

"Oh, I've heard thatold fairy tale before."

"_**Dear**_." The pleasantness had left and her voice was suddenly hard and cold. "Please do not speak so about things you do not know or understand. Just let me finish."

Slightly frightened by her sudden change, Futsu nodded meekly and let her continue.

"Tohru found out about the curse after I died. I'm certain you know about the period of time she spent with the Sohmas' as a result of circumstances…"

Again, the man just nodded, not trusting himself to say something which might upset the mother of his love.

"Those possessed by the curse change into the animal which possesses them every time they hug a member of the opposite sex."

Futsu opened his mouth to ask any number of questions, but Kyoko knew they were coming and headed them off.

"Don't ask for now. Although the Sohmas have been hiding this curse since the dawn of man, somehow, Tohru found out about the secret." Futsu's eyes grew enormously and a flash of wonder, admiration, confusion and after realization, pain showed his in-law exactly what he was thinking.

"Don't be angry with her. She was sworn to never speak of what she knew to a living soul, and you of all people should know what kind of person my daughter is…" Kyoko took a deep breath. This was where things got tough.

"Futsu. What is your appointed task?"

Initially, he was confused by her seeming change of subject. None the less, he answered quickly.

"To watch over and guide our sons, so that they find their true loves when the time is right."

"And why do you think that matters?"

He opened his mouth, but didn't have an answer for that. It shook him badly. Why did it matter. He watched over them and loved seeing their lives flourish, but why did he need to head off any of those pre-marital relations? He'd never thought to question his instructions.

The eyes that met Kyoko's were filled with worry, pain and confusion. After watching him try to figure things out for a moment, she was merciful and ended his worrying.

"Futsu. You will be the first person to hear my story. From beginning to end. Not even my daughter knows everything I will tell you, so I want you to pay close attention and please, do not interrupt me. Understood?"

"O-of course… whatever you say, Kyoko-san. But may I ask one question first?"

_He's such a dear boy, even as a grown man, long dead_, Kyoko thought to herself. "What is it, dear?"

"You said that she _thought_ her task was just to find them and have them fill out that survey thing, right?"

"'Survey thing?'" He nodded. Suppressing a grin, she nodded back. "And?"

"And then you said 'However…' What is her task then, if not what she was told?"

"Very clever, my dear." She patted him fondly on the leg in a congratulatory manner. "You're right in that she doesn't now what her real task is yet…but at the same time, neither do I."

Futsu groaned in frustration.

"I know, dear, and I'm sorry. But lets finish up here before we decide to pursue that matter…"

"Alright…" Futsu sounded remarkably like a small boy being told he couldn't play until after he finished his chores, Kyoko noticed.

"… Okay. Please understand how difficult it is for me to say these things. I wasn't being melodramatic when I told you that you are the first to hear it all. Let's see. To begin with, the fact of the matter is that I never told Tohru about my family for a reason."

Futsu was rapt with interest and Kyoko felt oddly like she was telling some bedtime story and not the tragedy that was her past.

"When I was about 16 years old, I had a terrible argument with the head of the family and threw away all connections to them I might have had. I moved away from my parents and onto the streets. I joined a gang of other girls my age and… well…"Sshe laughed in a quiet and somehow embarrassed way. She felt a bit self-conscious telling her son in-law about her days as a delinquent.

"That's when you got your name, right? About the butterfly on your jacket and the lights of your bike?"

Surprised didn't begin to cover her reaction to Futsu's casual and almost eager acceptance of her past. She never had been ashamed of her past, but somehow, telling it to Futsu was making her somehow …nervous. He was so comfortable talking about it that she felt like she was talking with her daughter again.

"Tohru-chan told me all about it. And her friend, Arisa-san." He stopped and looked at the woman across from him. "Kyoko-san. What are you trying to tell me. I knew most of this already. I don't understand what is so important…"

"My maiden name… is Sohma Kyoko." She blurted it, as if she was somehow afraid it would hurt to say it.

She watched as it dawned upon the sweet man the full implications of what he was just told.

"Bu-but… Kyoko-san… what does this mean? What happened to make you leave the Sohmas? They're one of the most powerful families in the nation?!"

"…I told you about the curse already." She seemed hesitant to continue.

"Uh-huh..."

"Well, I was friends with one of my cousins, especially. And his grandfather, was one of the possessed. He was the last living from the previous generation of zodiac and as soon as he died, the next generation would begin."

Futsu gulped audibly. Somehow, the words she spoke were expressing more than face value. They spoke to him of a terrible guilt and anger and sorrow.

"Now, remember what I said about there being a cat in the zodiac?"

He nodded.

"Well… the cat is truly the most cursed of all. If he doesn't wear a special set of beads about his wrists, he transforms into a hideous beast."

Futsu's eyes widened at the thought of Tohru being in danger because of such a magical monster.

"And as part of the curse… it is… a 'tradition' I suppose," she laughed cynically, "to lock the cat up in solitude for the remainder of its life if they cannot break the curse. Over time, I'ts become twisted from the original instructions, though, and now, if the cat doesn't defeat the rat by the time they both are out of their high schooling, the cat is locked away to await death. It also seems to be cruelly traditional that the cat is always the last of the zodiac to die. And so the cat, if they fail in their short time, is forced to await death alone, with the knowledge that as soon as the life fades from their body, the curse will begin anew…"

Futsu was on the verge of tears. It just wasn't fair!

"Why?!" he demanded. "Why does this happen?"

"I asked the exact same question. My cousin's grandfather was the cat of his generation. My cousin and I were speaking of our future… and the possibility of ours being connected… don't look at me that way, he was a distant cousin, Futsu-kun. But we could never agree when it came to our views of family obligation. I was the dutiful daughter, who was only concerned with protecting and helping the family prosper.

"I never understood why he hated the family so much… it was a quiet anger… he despised the family but refused to leave it. We argued about that for a long time and I don't think I want to get into that again… don't worry, Futsu-kun, I'm telling you everything you need to know… so finally, I told him that I would never understand how he felt about the family.

"And that was when my cousin showed him to me… the injustice of it all… I couldn't stand to be a part of that family and its corruption. To this day, I shake with rage at the thought of it. His hand was reaching out to us… it was a very old hand. It had these odd beads on its wrist and it reached out of those bars and into my very soul.

"That was when I found out about the curse of the Sohmas. I confronted the family head and he said that it was none of my business. The family doctor was out of town, thank goodness, so I escaped with my memory—at first. I knew they wouldn't let me get away with knowing their precious secret." She practically spat the words.

Futsu was dying to ask, but was afraid of her turning that anger and bitterness at him… so he raised his hand, as though he were still in school. That effectively cut off the flowing hatred which had been unplugged from Kyoko's breast and set her to laughing.

"Dear, you don't have to raise your hand if you have a question…"

"Sorry, but I didn't want to interrupt… but you said something about your memories… and a doctor?"

"Ah. Forgive me. You don't know. You remember Dr. Hatori, no doubt."

"How could I forget the man who helped bring my children into the world? Good man." Futsu smiled. He'd always liked the quiet doctor.

"Well, the family physicians have a peculiar ability amongst the Sohmas. They have the ability to erase certain memories. They do this to protect the secret of the zodiac."

"That's monstrous!"

"Futsu-kun, please, we're almost done."

"I'm sorry. But that's just wrong!"

"Futsu!" He stiffened. "Almost done… so I knew it was only a matter of time before they had my memories erased. So… disgusted, I left home. I cut all ties to the Sohma family and never looked back."

"And they let you go? They didn't follow you and try to erase your memories?"

She smiled wickedly. "Why do you think I joined a gang?"

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A/N: Alright! That's more than enough… an extra long chappie to make it up to you guys…I'll get another chapter or twobefore the new year,definitely!Much love to you guys!

Ikustioa sez: Yaaay. Now go home. :D


	17. Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

Disclaimer: You all know the drill.

A/N: Heh heh… been awhile, huh folks? I really am sorry. But the ideas just stopped. I couldn't think of anything to write… but hopefully things will be easier now… the story shouldn't be too much longer, anyway. Unless something or someone magically inspires me, I don't see this going past 25 chapters. If even that many… I also have to warn you guys that I now have a job to take up most of my free time, so it'll be even harder for me to find time to write. But, fear not, as reviewing should help bolster my resolve to sit down and write these babies.

Lemme see now… about those reviews I got for the last chapter…

Only three…? (pout) is it that boring? For you guys who actually reviewed I thank you greatly! And if you want, email me or something or maybe just say something in your next review, and I'll write a one shot or something for you, if you want… some kind of reward for your devotion! Cuz pillarchick, sofia815, and poplollyblues, you guys have been reviewing for forever and I can't thank ya'll enough for that. Seriously. Pillarchick especially. I love you, cuz! You've review EVERY chapter of mine and I thank you for that! And poplollyblues, I just remembered you asked me to read your story and I will do that… as soon as I find it! I looked, but I couldn't find it on ff . net… is it somewhere else?

Sorry again I took so long, guys!

You rock! (huggles and such for my three fans) And Nicole! If you read this, you'd better review! (glare)

Enough wallowing and groveling…

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If Tohru thought reading about her dear friends dying was hard, it was sheer torture to endure their confessions.

After Yuki had gone to bed, Tohru opened the Book again to read by the moonlight.

She felt so guilty for reading such personal things… but at the same time, it was… _fascinating_. But to learn things about them that she never wished to know… it was too much.

She found that reading with a sense of detachment was the only way to get through them. If she didn't think about who they were, if it wasn't _her_ friends thinking and doing these things, it was bearable.

There were only two left in the Book, now. Kagura's and Yuki's. Everyone else was accounted for.

So… how am I going to do this? Everyone except for Kyo-kun is in the Book. How am I supposed to fit him in? I have to see the Supreme One. Hopefully He'll tell me what to do. But before that, I have to finish reading… I know I'll have to read it eventually, but not yet… for now, I'll just read Kagura-san's chapter and… well… wait for a better time…

_And what was Yuki-kun talking about today? He's been acting so strangely ever since I woke up in Shigure-san's house…why was he asking me about Futsu? I shouldn't be thinking about this. This isn't important. Kagura-san and the others. They are what I should be concerned with, not what might have happened with Yuki and… _

Shaking her head to stop the train of thought, Tohru opened the Book to the last entry. But when she saw the confession instead of biography, she remembered the moonlight and hid under her sleeping bag with a flashlight to ensure she got the whole story.

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_Sohma Kagura_

After she graduated from college, Kagura had gone into nursing school, since she thought Kyo's wife should be able to tend to any potential wounds from his intense training.

She ended up working as the school nurse for her old high school, the same one that Rin also went to. She was well liked and duly feared amongst the student body and was truly a good nurse.

As far as Kyo was concerned, though…

Kagura never gave up her pursuit of Kyo. 

She proposed to him on many occasions. In fact, on every major holiday for the last 13 years before Tohru died, she popped the question. Kyo was usually missing for a few days afterwards.

Finally, to avoid her, he went into the mountains, as usual. She followed him, as usual, but never found him.

She did get close one time, however… but Kyo figured out that she was trailing him and threw her off of his trail by tearing up his favorite sweater and soaking it in the blood of his dinner. He left it for her to find and jump to the conclusion that he was dead.

Story has it that she actually went into denial and eventually insanity over the grief of losing Kyo.

She spent the remainder of her lengthy life sitting in an abandoned log cabin she found, living off the land and waiting for Kyo to come back to her.

Sure enough, one day -many years later- Kyo was out hiking when he found a seemingly abandoned cabin. He knocked but received no answer. So he walked in to find Kagura knitting a voodoo doll that looked remarkably like him when he was younger and muttering to herself.

When he made his presence known, she took one look at him and died of a heart attack.

She was 82 years old.

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It never failed to bring him peace.

The sun had just risen enough to peak over the treetops, creating shafts of warmth that danced gently, as if they, too were just waking.

Yuki had woken almost an hour earlier. He was having a nightmare and woke himself up. Even in death, it seemed Akito would haunt him. He had tried to sleep again, but instead found himself watching the gentle form of Tohru as she slept soundly.

Words couldn't describe how he felt. He never understood how he let her go… The very idea of someone loving her more than him was ludicrous. And yet, he had let her slip away… but not this time. He was going to help her break this curse. What happened after that, he wasn't certain…

What's going to happen once the curse is lifted? What happens if it never gets lifted? What if she fails? Another generation will be born to suffer. I can't let that happen. And afterwards… the Sohmas will gather, I suppose. To finish the banquet… but… what about Tohru? I don't want to be apart from her. Not again. What kind of reward would that be?

But what about her feelings? Does she even want to stay with us? What about her family? I know she'd never be happy if she was separated from them…

It was so confusing. Yuki had always hated not knowing how things were going to turn out. He hated not being in control of the events which concerned him most.

What will happen when we finally meet the Supreme One? What is supposed to happen? What's the point of all this?

Tohru's stirrings reminded Yuki of where he was.

He was dead.

But he was with her.

Smiling, he got out of his bedroll to collect more firewood. Tohru would wake soon, and then she'd insist on cooking, as usual.

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Kyoko saw that Yuki was leaving camp. He'd been watching her daughter for quite a while now, and she was beginning to wonder if she should just ask him to leave so she could talk with her daughter.

But as his slender form disappeared into the forest, she quietly went to wake her daughter and tell her the truth.

Here goes nothing…

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Kagura was making the coffee this morning.

It was Ayame's turn, technically, but she'd lost again at Dai Hi Min… such a shame, too… he made the best coffee out of them all, save for Tohru, of course. But somehow Ayame always managed to get out of doing chores.

Yawning broadly and scratching absently, she stumbled into the warming light of the front porch while she waited for the first batch to make.

I always did love it here… so peaceful and quiet. And not only was I near to you here, but… even now, I can pretend that you've just slipped out for a moment…

**CRASH!**

And I can almost hear you crashing around the house, clumsy you…

**CRASHBAMBOOMBANG!**

Kagura felt the hair on her neck slowly rise.

Did I just hear that? Or am I crazy?

From inside the house, she was answered.

"OI! Where is everyone! What's going on here!"

A horrible pang of hope went through her, cutting her legs from beneath and forcing her to her knees. She knew that voice. It was the one she'd been praying for… waiting for…

"Kyo… kun?"

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"Mom!" Tohru had just woken from a particularly nice dream… she couldn't remember what it was about, but she knew it was good. She was enjoying the scenery and wondering where Yuki had run off to when she saw her mother walking towards her from within the forest.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I can't stay long, but I had to tell you…" Kyoko sat next to her stunned daughter and quickly began to tell her the truth. She had to finish while they were still alone.

"So… do you understand?" 

"I …think so. My task is to break the curse before any of my grandchildren are born, right?"

"Basically, yes. That's what Futsu-kun has been up to all this time. He's been busy guiding your boys…"

"Mom… what's going to happen? What's the point of all of this? Why do we have to go through so much just to find a little peace?"

"Honey…" Kyoko reached a hand to her daughter's face.

"It doesn't really matter, though. No matter what… this time, I want them _all_ to be happy. I want… to be with them all again…"

"So. What do you plan to do to make that happen?"

"I… well, first, I'm going to go talk with the Supreme guy." Kyoko had to swallow her laugh at the informal new title for her boss.

"Then, I guess I'll go from there…? I don't know! It's so confusing! It seems like every time I finally get some information, I find out that it's wrong or incomplete!"

"I know what you mean…" Kyoko said more to herself than to Tohru. They were silent for a moment before Kyoko decided to take a risk and ask the question they'd all been dancing around for some time.

"Dear?"

"Yes?"

"… Forgive me for being so forward, but what are you going to do once you complete your task?"

Tohru's blank stare told Kyoko that elaboration was vital.

"Well, once everything is taken care of, all the Sohmas will gather for the banquet that began in the time of the Gods, right?"

"Right. And this time, the Cat will be there, too!" She gave a sharp nod to prove her point.

"Right. Well, technically, you're part Sohma, too. So you can go if you wanted to."

"Why wouldn't I want to?"

"Well… what about Futsu?"

Kyoko was rewarded with another blank stare.

"Futsu is only related to the Sohmas distantly, and through marriage. Besides, once you enter the banquet, it's not like you can go strolling around the afterlife and waltz in and out… this is a permanent thing."

"Why! What's the point of paradise if it won't make people happy!"

"That's a good point. But unfortunately, it's not one I can answer. But think about it: how happy will your husband be to be surrounded by people he was barely comfortable with in life? People that he knew were in love with you? People who've basically kept you from him for all this time?"

Tohru was silent again.

"Are you willing to choose between the Sohmas and your family?"

"But… aren't the Sohmas family? By blood at the very least?"

"… I suppose…"

"Then why can't we all be together! I don't see the problem…"

"Tohru. You're being selfish. You can't always have things how you want them. Consider the greater good."

"But—" Tohru began to speak again but was interrupted by her mother.

"We're not getting anywhere with this… look, sweetie… go talk with S.O. He'll tell you what you need to hear." Hugging her closely, Kyoko couldn't resist adding, "I think," in Tohru's ear.

As they pulled apart, Kyoko noticed Yuki approaching in the distance.

Better leave these two alone… he's going to play a large role in how this ends… 

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"Tohru-kun, are you sure you're alright? You seem… flushed?" Yuki's anxiety being voiced caused Tohru to calm down.

She didn't like arguing with her mother. Or anyone, for that matter. But her was something about this whole thing that just didn't fit… and she was going to figure it out, no matter what.

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A/N: So? What did you guys think? I'll be honest: I have no idea how I'm going to end this thing. If you have any suggestions, or constructive criticism, I'm wide open for 'em… and I apologize if things are just going in circles… let me know what you think! C'mon, guys! Let's end this thing! Wheee!


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